


I'm Just Like You

by MorningEagle



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Canon Related, Canonical Character Death, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Eventual Fluff, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-16
Updated: 2021-03-21
Packaged: 2021-03-24 13:35:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 22,749
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30073059
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MorningEagle/pseuds/MorningEagle
Summary: Lilith Rosenburg is a Marleyan living in the city of Liberio. Growing up, she never agreed with the treatment of the Eldian people and her only desires were to make friends and create peace. As the years go by, she sees just how cruel the world is and just how far her parents will go to keep up with the propaganda plaguing her home. Throughout her whole ordeal, she has her best friend Lukas by her side. With new friendships gained, Lilith moves beyond the pain of her past and learns how to stand on her own two feet. One day, she will need it, and one day she may be the only person that she can lean on in her dire times of need.*This story WILL contain spoilers*-There are going to be 4 O/Cs in this story.-I am going to try my best to keep this canonically correct- nothing that I add or write about will conflict with the canon story itself.-This is a work of fiction and based off of the works of Hajime Isayama's Shingeko No Kyojin (Attack on Titan) manga and anime.- The chapters tend to be long. Sorry. :D
Relationships: Porco Galliard/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 4





	1. Devils

**Author's Note:**

> I decided to start a new story! This one is taking place within the actual canon story line but from the perspective of a Marleyan. It's probably a cliche idea, but I'm a fiend for cliche and wanted to write out all my little cliche fantasies. 
> 
> Eventually, there will be romance. Because I want to keep this as canon as possible, the romance will not alter anything. Rest assured, I am a sad individual, but I also do have morals. 
> 
> This was originally supposed to be an O/C for my Reiner romances, but after episode 77 "Assault", I began to see Porco in a different light. This mans. This mans, tho. He needs love. 
> 
> I'll be posting three chapters right off the bat. I hope you like it!

“And remember, they’re devils.”

The girl sighed as her mother continued to chastise her about the importance of staying away from Eldians. It wasn’t the first time, and it certainly wouldn’t be the last. In fact, it became so routine that she began to memorize her mother word for word. Her gaze was set on the hardwood floor, finding the smallest cracks and blemishes throughout from furniture that’s been moved around for years. She began tuning her mother out and was able to divert her attention to other things, like what she was going to do today, who she was going to see, and what kind of mess she’d probably have to clean up after her friends.

“Lilith.”

Her gaze snapped up and met that of her mother’s, which was now right infront of her. Her mother’s hand was on her hip and her expression was questioning. “Did you hear anything I said, child?”

“Yes, they’re devils. Stay away from them. Don’t stay out too late, we have family coming over.” the girl said tiredly. “Mom, I get it. You don’t have to tell me this every single day.”

“I’m your mother and I will do as I see fit. These are dangerous times.” her mother’s tone was sharp and normally would have scared her, but today was just different. Today, Lilith didn’t feel like letting it bother her. There was no point.

With an exasperated huff, Lilith headed towards the door. Her mother did nothing but stand and watch as her daughter walked away. As the door shut behind her, Lilith stood still and closed her eyes while taking a breath of fresh air. 

She loved her mother more than anything. It just pained her to go through that lecture every single day. For the mere twelve years of her life, it’s all she’s ever known. There was something deep down that Lilith had been keeping from those close to her out of pure fear that she’d be punished in some horrible way. It gnaws at her gut every day and whenever she is put in a position like the one she was just in, the feeling just becomes worse. Unlike everyone else, Lilith didn’t believe the Eldian people were horrible. She didn’t agree with how they were treated, she absolutely hated the things that are said behind their backs, but there was one thing she hated most of all. She couldn’t stand the fact that they would be so scared of even her if she walked by. Her. Of all people. 

After gathering her thoughts for a moment, Lilith fixed her red hair into her signature side-braid and straightened out her dress. Soon enough, she was on her way to meet her friends.

____________________

Lilith walked alongside her friends Lukas and Elias. They’d been friends for a few years and they did everything together. In terms of age, Elias was the same age as her, but Lukas was a year older. Of the two though, she was closest to Lukas. It came as no surprise that as Elias walked a few feet ahead of them, Lukas stayed behind. He noticed something was off, and he was determined to find out.

“So, Lils, how’s your day so far?” he asked; his voice soft and sweet. 

Lilith shrugged her shoulders and kicked a pebble that stood in her path on the ground. “Eh, same old, you know? My mom sets my mood for me.”

Lukas put his hands in his pockets and sighed. “Yeah, I feel that.”

Even though Lilith felt that she could trust Lukas with anything, she still felt scared to go into any depth of how she was really feeling. Not wanting to burden him, she just remained quiet. Maybe if she didn’t open her mouth too much, it wouldn’t run like it had a mind of its own, which it has done before. 

Elias called out from in front of them, his hands placed above the back of his head. “You two are so damn slow, hurry up.”

“Yeah, yeah, calm down.” Lukas replied. He sighed and turned his gaze to Lilith, who was still looking downwards. “He’s so uptight.”

“I know. Kind of irritating.” she mumbled in reply, hoping Elias wouldn’t hear. The truth was, she didn’t really like him. The only reason she put up with him was because he was also best friends with Lukas. Of the three, he was vile and a trouble maker. What upset her the most was how he was so wrapped up in the propaganda against Eldian people that he practically lived off of it. Whenever he’d see someone with an arm band, he’d make a scene. It didn’t matter if they were Military officials either. 

As they scurried along, Lilith began to notice where they were going. Her breath got caught in her throat and her eyes widened. “Hey,” she called as she darted a few steps forward to catch up to Elias. “Eli, where are we going?”

A grin was plastered on his face as he ducked himself into an alley way. “The warrior headquarters.”

“Idiot! Why?!” Lilith hissed as she grabbed his arm in an attempt to hold him back. Lukas was right behind her and just as mortified. 

“Elias, what business do you even have there?” Lukas asked; his tall form towering over the other boy who still had a grin. 

He didn't have to say anything though, Lilith already knew. She couldn’t help the feeling of dread fill her gut as Elias yanked himself away and continued walking. Her hands balled into fists at her sides and Lukas let out a frustrated sigh. “What are we going to do with him?” he asked quietly as they watched Elias walk off and turn the corner. A reluctant groan left Lilith’s throat as she started walking after her hot-headed friend. 

“I don’t know. But we better go see what he’s up to.”

“Yeah,” Lukas agreed as he followed close behind. “I don’t know what he doesn't understand. Being around the Warrior headquarters is like going to the internment zone, isn’t it? Won’t we get in trouble?”

“Who knows, but we’re gonna find out. I’m sorry, Lukas. But if something happens, I don’t think I’ll have any more patience being around him.”

Lukas resorted to silence as her words hit him, and they hit him hard. He grit his teeth and sped up his pace; both of them hoping that Elias wasn’t up to no good. Although deep down, they both knew that was the case. 

As they made their way out of the alley and onto the street, they looked around frantically for Elias. They continued walking around until suddenly, they could hear Elias’ taunting voice from a few yards away. Following it, they turned a corner and saw Elias doing what he did best; berating people. Lilith rolled her eyes and began walking faster until she noticed something else. The people that Elias was cutting down were none other than the Warrior Candidates themselves. Her brisk walk turned into a jog as she finally reached his side; her expression contorted with complete mortification. 

“Eli, what the hell?!” her voice was but a whisper, but it was still angry. Her gaze fell over the candidates in front of her, who were all standing their ground. They remained quiet, probably afraid to say anything in fear of repercussions. 

“What? I’m just reminding these vermin that no matter what they do, they’ll never amount to being anything close to what we are. Right Lukas?” Elias sneered as he turned his gaze to his tall friend. Lukas remained quiet; his shoulders tense and hands at his sides. His silence didn’t deter Elias, though, who turned his gaze back to the candidates and crossed his arms. “All this just to pretend to be Marleyan?”

One of the candidates was absolutely fuming, unlike the rest. His face was red with anger and his fists were balled and raised slightly as if he were ready to strike at any given moment. He had blonde hair slicked back with an undercut; his eyes were hazel and beginning to brim with tears. Although probably not of sadness, but of pure anger. Elias noticed him and stepped so that he was in front of him. 

“Ah, you wanna hit me? Go ahead. If you do, you know what’ll happen.”

“Why don’t you piss off and leave us the hell alone?!” The candidate spat as he took one step forward. Another grabbed hold of him, pulling him away from Elias. 

“Porco, no! Snap out of it. It’s not worth it.” 

“Marcel is right,” a taller candidate said. He had black hair and a sad expression. His voice was soft and calm despite the circumstances. “It’ll do you and all of us no good. We should go.”

Lilith scanned the faces before her and noticed one of the candidates staring back with the most broken expression. It was as if he didn’t know whether to be mad, upset, or scared. Eventually, he turned his gaze away. His hand ran nervously through his blonde hair and gripped it tightly. There was no mistaking that there were tears in his eyes as well. Frustrated, she turned to Elias and shoved his arm so that he was facing her. His grin went away and his arms fell to his sides; he’d never seen her act like that before. 

“Elias, get a grip! Leave them alone.” she snapped. “Is this why you wanted to come here? To belittle and berate Warrior Candidates? Are you that dense?”

“What’s it to you?” he snapped back, his tone was acidic. The tension around all of them rose and Lilith could feel it. She opened her mouth to say something, but no words came out. Her mind trailed back to her thoughts this morning and how she was too afraid to tell anyone how she really felt about the mistreatment of the Eldian people. It was bad enough she felt she couldn’t tell even her closest friend, but Elias? He noticed her sudden change in attitude and grinned again while taking a step closer to her. “Ah, Lils. Cat caught your tongue? What’s it to you?”

“Just leave them alone. All you’ve ever been is a bully and I’m sick of it.” Lilith muttered. She could feel the eyes of the candidates on her which made her turn to face them. All except one were staring intently at the exchange going on; there was one blonde girl who at some point broke away from the group. She wasn’t too far though, she was only kicking rocks behind her group of friends with her hands in her pockets. She turned back to Elias and crossed her arms. “Let’s go. We’re not even supposed to be here.”

“Oh, oh, hold on. I’ve only ever been a bully to devil swine, so I’ll ask again.” By now, he was right in front of her. She turned her gaze from him but gasped as she felt his thumb and index finger grab her chin, forcing her gaze back. “What’s. It. To. You?”

“Hey, back off!” Lukas yelled as he pushed Elias away. “Don’t touch her like that.” 

Irritated, Elias growled and glared at Lukas; his eyes seemingly burning a hole through him. “What?! I Want to know what her deal is!”

“Well maybe she doesn’t agree with your shit, man! Can’t you take a hint?!”

“Or maybe she’s an Eldian whore in disguise! Why else would she be this defensive?!”

His words felt like a punch to the gut and Lilith found herself taking a step back. Her eyes widened in complete shock, the hurt in her face evident as her face flushed and her eyes began to burn. The comment sent Lukas off the edge but before he could do anything, Elias was promptly and effectively knocked to the ground. Blood immediately began trickling from his nose as he lay there in complete confusion. 

Lilith looked over and saw the angry blonde standing over Elias, his hands still balled into fists. His chest heaved quickly as he tried controlling his breathing; the brunette from earlier quickly hooking his arms with his own and pulled him away. 

“Porco! What the h-”

“I’m sick of this guy! All day, every damn day we deal with his shit!” Porco yelled as he struggled against the brunette, Marcel. “And you don’t talk to girls like that! This asshole deserves it!”

Elias pulled himself up off the ground and without a second thought, he lunged at Porco. This knocked all three of them down in a raging frenzy; Elias straddling Porco as he began landing punches wherever he could. Lukas quickly went and hooked his arms under Elias’ shoulders in an attempt to pull him off. 

“Elias, quit it! Stop, before the higher ups come out!”

By now, there were people who noticed the commotion. No one said anything though, and they all just kept walking. It was just another incident of Eldians being put in their place, or so they say. It was so normal that no one cared to intervene, and it just broke Lilith even more. 

Eventually, Lukas managed to pull Elias off. His knuckles were bruised and bloodied and his hair was strewn across his face; sticking with sweat and his own blood. Marcel tried helping Porco up but was nudged away by the angry blonde, determined to get up by himself. Lilith felt absolutely horrible that this had happened. If only she didn’t get scared out of saying how she really felt, maybe Elias wouldn’t have taken it so far. Or maybe he would have. The feeling in her stomach suddenly dissipated and she came over with adrenaline. This was it. This was the breaking point she was waiting for. Her gaze turned to Elias; her brows furrowed and her lips pursed into a straight line. He met her gaze angrily as he wiped the blood from his nose. 

“You’re a cruel person, Elias. I don’t know what else to say.”

“Say I’m right, that you’re an Eldian wh-” he let out a gasp as Lukas tightened his grip on his arms, pulling them closer together behind his back and pulling his muscles. He felt as if his arms would snap. “Ugh, piss off Lukas! You’re defending her for defending these tainted devils?!”

“You’re wrong. I’m Marleyan, and I’m tired of this shit. You’re looking at the people who are going to be the ones saving your life one day, and this is how you treat them?!”

“Tch, yeah, if they make it.” He snarled as he made eye contact with one of the warriors. Lilith followed his gaze and noticed the shy blonde from earlier; the tears still in his eyes. He promptly looked down to the ground in shame. 

Lilith turned back to Elias. “Tell me, asshole, if you were Eldian, would you be willing to become a Warrior?”

“Huh?” his gaze snapped back to hers. 

“I spoke clearly, idiot. Would you be willing to become a Warrior?”

“I’m Marleyan, not a disgusting Eldian.”

Lilith’s voice raised now as she took a step towards him. “Would you be brave enough to become a Warrior?”

Finally, there was silence. Lukas’ grip didn’t falter and she noticed this as Elias struggled to get comfortable in his grasp. She wanted to smirk, but thought it was best not to. She didn’t want to get him riled up all over again. He huffed and kept his eyes locked on hers. “No.”

“So why berate them? Why come here every day to tear them down?”

“It’s what they deserve.”

Lilith fought the urge to slap the poor excuse of a boy infront of her. Instead, her shoulders dropped and she took a deep breath. Her eyes fluttered over to Lukas who gave her a knowing nod before letting go of Elias’ arms. “Let’s go, asshole.” he muttered as he turned around. Elias stood there momentarily while he stretched his arms out; a pained grimace taking over his face. Lukas stopped and turned to see what was taking so long. “I said, let’s go!”

Elias glared at Porco one last time, the latter gladly returning the favor. He turned away so he faced Lilith now; her eyes hesitant to return his gaze. She did it anyway. 

“So this is where you really stand? You wanna defend them?”

“Maybe I do.”

Lilith could see from the corner of her eye as a few heads turned to look at her. She didn’t break her gaze from Elias, though. His expression remained stoic. 

“Wait ‘till your mom finds out.” the slimy grin could be heard in his voice, but Lilith brushed it off. She said nothing, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of letting him know it made her nervous. “And when other people find out. Wait ‘till officials come banging on your door for being a devil sympathizer.” with every word, his voice became more sadistic and cruel. This was really the person who she’d been friends with for years. Lukas made his way back over and roughly grabbed his arm. 

“Knock it off.”

“No. She wants to sympathize with the Eldians? She can be treated like one.” with that, his lips pursed rhythmically until, suddenly, he spit at her. She felt the glob land on the lower part of her dress, but she refused to react to it. Lukas’ eyes widened as he looked at Lilith, a look of sadness on his face. She noticed and just shook her head slightly. 

“It’s fine, Lukas. I can wash it.”

As if that suddenly wasn’t good enough, Elias’ face contorted with rage all over again. He began to scream. Profanities spilled from his mouth as Lukas struggled to drag him away. Lilith just stayed put and watched until they were out of sight. It took a little longer before she couldn’t hear the echo of Elias' strained voice. Finally, they were gone. 

Half expecting the Warrior Candidates to be long gone, she slowly turned to where she saw them last and was surprised to see that they were still there. The aura around them was awkward and she definitely felt out of place. She tried thinking of words to say but came up with nothing. Instead, she hung her head; her gaze falling on her dress where it was damp with spit. She could faintly see the bubbles that remained and she felt her gag reflex tense at the back of her throat. Suddenly, a soft voice spoke, pulling her from her thoughts. 

“Thank you.”

She looked up and saw one of the candidates, a black haired girl, standing in front of her. Her gaze was calm and welcoming. A faint smile played on her lips. Lilith returned the smile as best as she could, but soon faltered back to a frown. 

“I’m really sorry. I didn’t know that he was doing this all the time. I…” her gaze turned towards the ground. Today was just not her day. 

“You did nothing wrong.” the girl spoke again. “My name is Pieck.”

Lilith looked up at her and saw she was still smiling. Pieck began pointing around to her friends and introduced them. “This is Bertholdt, Reiner, Marcel, Porco, and Annie is over there crushing up ant hills.”

Lilith did her best to memorize the faces to the names and couldn’t help a small chuckle that left as she saw Annie; Pieck’s words seemed to dissipate the sadness she was feeling even for a brief moment. “My name is Lilith.” she replied softly. When she looked at Porco, she noticed his face was still flushed, but his eyes were turned to the ground. He still looked angry, and the blood all over him made her heart sink all over again. 

“I’m really sorry, Porco. I hope you’re okay.” she said which caused him to look up at her. His expression softened slightly, but he quickly turned away again. 

“I’ll be fine.”

Before Lilith could reply, another candidate came running over. He had curly blonde hair and glasses. “ Hey! What are you guys doing? We’re going to be late again and I’m the one who’s gonna get it!”

Once he reached the group, he knelt his hands on his knees and panted. Bertholdt turned around to look at him, his eyes widening. “Zeke! Shit, come on guys, we gotta go.”

“Wait a minute, who’s that?” Zeke was now standing; his gaze on Lilith. She felt frozen in her tracks. There was something about this guy that was off putting and she didn’t know what it was, but she suddenly felt as if she’d been caught by military officials themselves. Not wanting the candidates to get into any more trouble, she somehow found her courage and cleared her throat. 

“I’m sorry, my friend came and attacked your fellow candidate and I was just seeing if he’s okay. I’ll be going now.” 

Zeke looked over at the group questioningly until his gaze set upon Porco. He walked over to him and put a hand on his shoulder, turning him to face him so he could get a better look. 

“Shit, Porco. Really? The brass is gonna have my head for the blood on your uniform alone. I hope you didn’t instigate this.”

“I didn’t instigate anything!” Porco shouted. Clearly a hot head, too. No wonder Elias liked to single him out. 

“Shut up you idiot, let’s get you changed before we get to training. I’ll cover for you. Again.”

“What’ll you say this time?” Pieck asked curiously. 

“That he shit himself.” Zeke replied with a shrug.

“What?!” Porco shrieked. The exchange made Lilith smile, but she stopped before anyone could see. It was then that she noticed the other blonde, Reiner, staring at her. His gaze was more relaxed now that the tears were gone. She was surprised to see that he gave her the slightest smile back before turning his gaze away; his smile faltering quickly. 

Zeke’s voice pulled her from her thoughts. “You don’t want to get in trouble either. I know this isn’t the internment zone, but you speaking to us will do more harm than good regardless if you’re Marleyan.”

Lilith nodded and fixed her dress again. “Sorry.”

With that, she gave one last glance to each of the candidates in front of her. Pieck was the only who still smiled. Before she could smile back, she turned away and began her walk back home. 

Little did she know that the candidates still stood there; watching her as she walked out of sight. Zeke sighed and crossed his arms. 

“What really happened?” he asked. “Pieck?”

Pieck thought for a moment about how she could word everything without getting everyone into deeper trouble. “It was that boy who always comes by tormenting us. Lil-er, that girl…-”

“You know her name?”

Pieck sighed. “Her name is Lilith. She and another friend found him harassing us and she tried to stop him. He said something to wrong her and Porco punched him.”

“What- Pieck!” Porco protested. 

“It’s the truth.”

Zeke placed a hand on Porco’s shoulder. “They’re Marleyan. Why? You know what could happen to you if the brass found out.”

“The dudes an asshole, Zeke! He had it coming.”

“Because of how he was treating you or how he treated her?”

Porco was silenced for a moment; his thoughts trailing back and replaying the whole scenario in his mind. 

“Porco, it’s not your job to protect Marleyans. Not yet, anyway.”

“But,” another voice erupted among them. Zeke averted his gaze to Reiner who had now found his voice after the whole ordeal. “She didn’t care that we’re Eldian. She...she really wanted to help and make sure Porco was okay.”

Since Zeke was the oldest of the group, he felt compelled to be their older brother figure. He couldn’t get mad at them, but knew when to be stern and when to be a calm and guiding light. He raised his hand up and ran his fingers through his hair as he thought of what to say next. In a sigh of defeat, his shoulders slumped and he kicked a rock that was on the ground in front of him. 

“Come on, Porco. Let’s go. I won’t say anything.”

Porco shoved his hands in his pockets and grumbled as he followed Zeke back to the headquarters. Marcel followed close behind. As everyone else began to follow, Reiner was the one who remained still; his gaze turning back to where he saw Lilith last. Bertholdt stopped and turned to see his friend standing there alone. 

“Reiner, come on. We need to go.”

“Yeah, sorry.” Finally pulled from his thoughts, Reiner began making his way towards Bertholdt and they soon disappeared with the rest of the candidates. The only thing that remained of them was the small dots of blood that were sprayed on the cement.


	2. Rivalry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the incident infront of the Warrior Headquarters, Lilith has been forced to stay inside her home by her authoritative father. When he finally leaves the city for work, her mom reluctantly allows her a small amount of freedom for the day. It is then that Lilith discovers the Titan successors had been chosen. However, only one remained left behind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last "childhood" flashback for Lilith and everyone else. Next chapter will be 5 year jump. :)

A few weeks had passed and Lilith was having the time of her life. 

Not. 

It didn’t take long for Elias to open his gob and express how Lilith had outwardly defended a group of Eldians. What made it worse was that he did it at her house while her family was over. The memory burned itself into her brain as she remembered it as if it were yesterday. She had gone a few days without hearing from him and thought for sure she’d never see him again. It was a Sunday, when her family would come visit, and there was a sudden knock at the door. It was certainly suspicious since everyone was accounted for, so Lilith stayed at the kitchen table amongst her cousins, uncles and aunts as her father made his way over to the door. 

_“Oh, hello Elias. Lilith is just visiting with family right now...she can come out later.”_

_“I don’t want to see her, I actually wanted to talk to you. I wanted to let you know that your daughter is an Eldian devil sympathizer and caused a scene by the Warrior Headquarters a few days ago.”_

Lilith grit her teeth as she remembered the words. Not only that, but she remembered the gasps and sharp turns that her family made in order to stare at her; disbelief plastered on their faces. One of her cousins actually inched away from her in her chair. Once the door closed, Lilith could hear her father’s footsteps angrily making their way across the floor. Her eyes began to burn as the rest of the memory came flooding in. How her father chastised her infront of her family, how her mother sat there and did nothing to intervene. The stares from her family were the worst. Even more terrible than when her father yanked her off her chair by her hair and shoved her into the hall. She was banished from the table and sent to her room for the remainder of the night.

Since that was a few days ago, the tension in the house was finally beginning to settle. She still couldn’t look at her parents, though. Occasionally she’d sit by her window and see Lukas standing on the street. He’d wave to her and motion for her to come out, but she was too ashamed and upset. Instead, she’d hang her head and slowly close her curtains. 

Suddenly, there was a knock at her door. 

She reluctantly got off of her bed and opened it, half expecting another ear-splitting scream fest but was surprised to see it was her mother. For the most part, she had a faint smile. 

“Lukas is here to see you.”

Lilith’s heart skipped and her eyes widened. She hadn’t been out of the house in days, so the thought of seeing her best friend again was almost surreal. Her excitement vanished as quickly as it came as she remembered her punishment for defending “devil swine”. 

“Oh...did you tell him I’m bound to my room until father can look at me in the face again?”

Her mother kissed her teeth and leaned against the door frame; her arms crossing. “Go. Get some fresh air.”

“Really? You’re letting me leave?”

“Your father won’t be home for two days, just go. It’s not healthy to be cooped up. Quite frankly, I think he was way out of line.”

Lilith didn’t quite know how to feel about that remark. If that were the case, why did her mother not intervene? She figured it was best not to ask and walked over to her dresser. She began pulling out some clothes to wear, which was enough for her mother to be satisfied. She removed herself from the door frame and slowly began shutting the door. “I’ll let him know you’ll be down in a few minutes.”

Lilith said nothing as she began to change. She put on a dark green blouse and a long beige skirt that went to her mid-calves. She didn’t bother braiding her hair this time and resorted to clipping the sides to the back of her head with a black hair clip. She nearly tripped over nothing as she proceeded out of her room and down the stairs in a hurry. 

Once she reached the main floor, her eyes darted to the front door where she found Lukas standing patiently in wait. His lips pulled into a huge smile when he saw her. 

“Lils! How’ve you been?” he asked; his arms instinctively opening as she ran into him with a big hug. 

“Crap, if I can be honest. But I’m better now! I’m so glad you came to see me.”

He hugged her back tightly before letting her go. His hands rested on her shoulders as he gently pushed her back so he could look her in the eyes. It was as if he was searching for something, but wasn’t quite sure what. “I heard what that asshole did.” his voice was quiet, not wanting Lilith’s mother to hear. As if on cue, she came walking around the corner with a dish towel in her hand. 

“Go get some fresh air and be back before supper.”

Lilith turned to her mother and nodded, her lips pulling into a smile again. “Thanks, mom.”

And with that, the pair walked out of the house; the door shutting softly behind them.

____________________

Lukas and Lilith sat on a bench that faced the river separating them from the internment zone. It was nice to be in each other’s company again. They shared a few laughs at first, but their conversation took a turn when Lukas brought up Elias. 

“He just came by and blabbed about how he went over and ratted you out to your whole family.”

“Oh yeah?” Lilith said, her voice quiet. “Yeah, he did that.”

“I’m so sorry, Lils. If it makes you feel better, I just slammed the door in his face.”

She grinned slightly and looked down. The breeze gently blew her bangs across her face and she let out a soft sigh. “Yeah, it does.”

Lukas just smiled and looked off towards the river. The truth was that Elias didn’t even come by his place anymore. Elias knew how close Lukas was to Lilith and probably didn’t want to risk seeing her again. Either that or he just didn’t want to be around a devil sympathizer, or so he calls her. 

After a few moments of silence, Lukas cleared his throat. “I’m, uh...not sure if you heard. But the candidates were selected yesterday.”

“Oh?” Lilith was caught off guard; her gaze snapping up from the ground beneath her. She turned to look at Lukas who was still looking out at the water. “And? Do we know who’s getting the Titans?”

“Yeah.” he began to rummage through his pocket and pulled out a folded up newspaper clipping. “I figured you might want to read it, so I brought it with me.” he said before handing it to her. 

Lilith eagerly took the clipping from him and began to scan over the article. Indeed, there were the faces of the candidates she met not that long ago. She didn’t know whether or not to be happy or sad. Even though she was young, she knew what it meant when someone becomes a Warrior. Despite all of the responsibility, they are only given thirteen years to live. She quietly began muttering the names of the faces she recognized as she looked them over again and again. 

“Pieck, Marcel, Reiner, Bertholdt, Annie, Zeke…” her eyebrows furrowed together. Something wasn’t adding up. Her eyes trailed back over to Marcel’s photo when she suddenly remembered. “Porco didn’t qualify?” 

Lukas shrugged his shoulders and sat back against the bench. “I guess not.”

Lilith couldn’t help the panic that set in; had he been left out because of what happened with Elias?

“Oh Lukas, I hope it’s not because of us.” 

“Lils, I don’t think it’s because of us.”

“How do you know?” she asked as she folded the clipping back up before handing it back to him. Lukas looked at her and slowly sat up straight in his seat. He took the clipping back and shoved it into his pocket again. 

“If it were that, I’m sure there’d be some kind of public shaming. So far, nothing of the sort.”

Lilith thought about that for a moment before settling back into her seat on the bench. She couldn’t help but think about Porco and what he must be feeling right now. Although her gaze turned back towards the river, Lukas’ remained on her. He knew something was up. He always did.

“What’s on your mind, Lils?”

“I dare not say.”

“Hey,” he squeaked, clearly offended. “You can tell me anything. I won’t get mad or rat you out!” his hand found a spot on her shoulder which caused her to turn to him. 

“I just...ugh, okay fine.” Lilith took a deep breath and turned her body towards his. It was her attempt at trying to be discreet. “I feel bad. I want to know if he’s okay.”

Lukas raised an eyebrow at her and panned the area around them for a moment. Eventually, he leaned in closer to her and whispered. “Do you want to see if we can find him?”

“What?” Lilith asked quietly. “Seriously?”

“Well, yeah. Why not?”

“If my dad finds out I went anywhere near the headquarters again, he’ll disown me.” her voice faltered at her own words, but it was the truth. Her father was absolutely livid when he found out what she’d done. He didn’t even want her leaving the house when he wasn’t home because he didn’t trust her in the general public. Lukas stood up; his hand reaching for Lilith’s wrist before pulling her to her feet. 

“Well, Elias isn’t here to shit on your parade. I know it’s bugging you, so let’s go.”

Lilith knew she now had no say in the matter. She just grinned and let herself get dragged away down towards the Warrior Headquarters. On the way there, she searched frantically through the crowds of people in hopes that Elias wasn’t lurking around. As much as she wanted to check on Porco, she didn’t want to get ratted out again. Lukas sensed the tension emitting from her and he turned to look in her direction; their pace slowing down. 

“What’s the matter?”

“I just hope Elias isn’t around.”

Lukas let out a faint grumble. “Don’t worry about that asshole.” was all he said before coming to a stop. He leaned against one of the brick walls across the street from the headquarters and pulled Lilith beside him. “Let’s try to see if we can spot anyone from here. Don’t get too close just yet.”

“Okay.” Lilith replied with a nod. She felt nervous; not only was Elias on her mind, but what if the Warrior Candidates would act indifferently? She took a deep breath and closed her eyes in an attempt to calm her nerves. It felt like they were waiting forever when suddenly, Lukas grabbed her hand and gave it a quick squeeze. 

“There, Lils. They’re coming out.”

She looked up and saw all of the candidates coming out from the gated area around the headquarters. Just as she was about to start walking, she noticed an older man walk out from behind them. He was tall and had a buzz cut; the expression on his face was angry. Luka’s grip tightened and he held her back. 

“Wait- looks like an officer.” he muttered under his breath. He squinted his eyes as he noticed the arm bands they all wore. Most of them were red while Porco’s was yellow. “Oh hey, they’re honorary Marleyans now.”

“What’s that mean?” Lilith asked while inspecting the arm bands for herself. “Is that the bands they’re wearing?”

“Once it’s official that they’ll inherit a Titan, themselves and their families become honorary Marleyans. It means that they will be able to live without the constraints of being Eldian, basically. I’m not quite sure if there’s a limit to that or not, but it’s better than what they had beforehand.”

“Oh…so all the ones in red.” Lilith noticed there was only one that wasn’t the same and her heart sunk. “Porco isn’t.”

“I’m pretty sure he’s okay. Did you even read the article? Marcel is his brother.” 

Before Lilith could say anything, Lukas began to pull her along and away from the wall. She noticed then that the officer was gone and the group was making their way down the sidewalk. Once they got close enough, Pieck noticed them and gave them a big smile. 

“Lilith! Hi, again.” she said; her voice soft as always. “Sorry, I don’t think I got your name the last time.” her gaze fell upon Lukas, who just smiled back. 

“I’m Lukas. I was a little occupied the last time...ha.” he said while bringing his hand up to ruffle through his hair. He gave Lilith a gentle nudge to the arm. 

Pieck looked back at Lilith questioningly. “Is there something wrong?”

“I...uh, no. I’m fine. I just wanted to congratulate you all.” Lilith replied sheepishly. “I’m a day late with reading the paper, being on house arrest and all.”

“House arrest?” Zeke asked. “May I ask why?”

Lilith smoothed out her skirt as she turned her gaze to him. “Not literally. Elias ratted me out to my family and my dad went livid. I’m not really supposed to be out.”

Bertholdt, looking sad as usual, chimed in. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault. I knew what I was doing. So...you guys are honorary Marleyans now?”

As Lilith said that, she noticed Porco cross his arms and turn away from the group. Marcel placed his hand on his shoulder reassuringly, but was promptly shrugged off. 

“Yep.” Pieck said. “So it’s not really taboo for us to be talking anymore.”

Her words made Lilith relax a bit. Actually, more than a bit. A lot. She couldn’t help but smile at that. Zeke cleared his throat and ran his fingers through his hair. 

“Sorry to break the bubble, but I need to head back home. Told my grandparents I’d help them while we had our break. Good to see you again, Lilith and Lukas.”

“Oh, uh...you too, Zeke.” Lilith said as she gave him a small wave. It didn’t take long for him to disappear from sight as he headed home. She was pulled from her thoughts by Pieck, who was right beside her now. 

“Do you want to join us? We’re just heading to the park for break. We’ve got an hour.”

Lilith wanted to desperately accept the offer, but felt conflicted. She looked over at Lukas who had a reassuring smile. He gave her a little nod and placed his hands in his pant pockets. 

“Sure, I’d love that. If you all don’t mind, that is.” Lilith said, her voice quiet. Pieck just smiled and began walking ahead. 

“Come, let’s go before all the good spots are taken.”

____________________

The group all sat under one of the trees in the park. It was literally just a field with the occasional picnic bench scattered throughout, but Pieck and the others liked to come here on their breaks and just relax. Annie was off on her own somewhere, probably digging up grass. Bertholdt and Reiner sat against the tree while Pieck, Lilith, Lukas and Marcel sat at the table right underneath it. Porco just laid down on the grass a few feet away from everyone. Lilith could tell he was sulking. 

Lukas broke the silence this time. “So, what happens now?”

“There’s going to be a huge send off in the next coming days.” Pieck answered. “Four of us will be sent over to Paradis.”

“Do you know who’s going?”

“Yep. Reiner, Bertholdt, Marcel and Annie. Details on their departure aren’t in stone yet, but I’m sure it’ll be announced the day of.”

Lilith looked over at Marcel who sat on the opposite side of her to the left. He was just staring holes into the table. She was beginning to wonder if she was making him uncomfortable. After thinking of something to say, she chimed in. 

“That’s going to be neat. Going across the ocean.”

“I hear it’s beautiful.” Pieck said; her eyes closing as she imagined the sound of the waves. “But I’m staying here with Zeke and Porco. I’m sure I’ll get my turn soon enough.”

Lilith figured that it was probably an appropriate time to ask about Porco now since Pieck already brought him up. She glanced one more time at Marcel before inhaling deeply. Her gaze turned back to Pieck. “Is he okay? He seems sad.”

“Who?” Pieck asked as she shifted her body towards Lilith. 

“Porco.”

“Ah...well, I mean...he’s not happy.” she replied; her voice quiet. “He really tried so hard, but he just didn’t make the cut.”

Marcel finally looked up from the imaginary holes he burned into the table and cleared his throat. The others turned to look at him, anxiously awaiting any words that were about to come out of his mouth. 

But there were none.

Lilith just sighed. “I hope it didn’t have anything to do with Elias.”

Pieck just sat still; her eyes locked on Lilith’s even though the latter was now looking down at the table. “No, nothing like that. Zeke kept his word and covered him from the brass.”

A sense of relief washed over Lilith’s form as she heard that. It still didn’t negate the fact that the poor boy was so upset about not being chosen. It was then that she noticed Reiner and Bertholdt making their way over to the table. 

“Hey,” Reiner said as he sat down next to Lilith. Bertholdt took a seat opposite of him next to Marcel. “Mind if we join?”

“Not at all.” Lilith replied, suddenly happy to see that they decided to join them at the table. “The more the merrier.” She gave them a smile and was grateful that they returned the gesture. 

They sat and chatted for a little while; getting to know each other and all. It was pretty sad, actually, how a couple arm bands made it suddenly easier for them to feel comfortable talking to one another. Lilith wasn’t going to complain though or bring that thought up in any way. She was grateful that she was able to make new friends, and even more so for Lukas after dragging her over there to begin with. Had he not encouraged her, they wouldn’t be there in the first place. There was a question that kept eating away at her mind though and she found herself lost in a daze as she tried to formulate the words properly to speak. Marcel’s voice brought her back; soft and concerned. 

“You alright?”

Lilith blinked a few times and returned his gaze. She hadn’t really got a good look at him before until now. As she took in his features, she couldn’t help but feel foolish in that she didn’t realize him and Porco were brothers. They looked so similar, except Marcel didn’t seem so angry. 

“I was just thinking.”

“About what?”

“Does it bother you all that we’re Marleyan?”

When she asked that question, she noticed Lukas become rigid next to her. In his mind, he wondered why she’d want to put a damper on the atmosphere with a question like that. She just paid him no mind and waited for Marcel to answer. Instead, it was Reiner who spoke up. He turned his body so he faced her slightly; his forearm resting on the table. 

“After what you did? We’ve never seen a Marleyan stick up for any Eldian before. I doubt anyone would want to go through what you did in order to put on a show.”

“So, no?”

“No. It doesn’t bother us at all.”

Just then, Reiner’s body began to fall full force into Lilith. Her arms instinctively wrapped around him to catch him and Lukas, in turn, caught both before they could fall over the back of the bench. Frazzled and embarrassed, Reiner sat up quickly and inched away from her. His eyes found hers and all she could see was pure panic as his cheeks flushed red. It was then that she noticed Porco standing at the edge of the table, his brows furrowed like always. 

“Speak for yourself, you idiot.” he spat, to which Reiner turned quickly to face him.

“What was that for?” Reiner asked as he stood up from his seat. “You could’ve hurt us!”

“Tch, I was only trying to hurt you. What gives you the right to speak for all of us?”

Lilith watched as another argument unfolded. She didn’t realize exactly how much of a hot-head Porco was until now. She looked back at Pieck for some reassurance and saw her just sitting quietly, expressionless. Marcel stood up now.

“Porco, lay off him would you?”

“No. This jerk wasn’t supposed to be chosen. Why do I have to stay back?”

Marcel suddenly looked pained, as if Porco’s words struck him like a fresh bullet. He took the few steps needed to reach his brother’s side before forcefully turning him to look him in the eyes. “It doesn’t matter, you’re still an honorary Marleyan because of me. Everything will be -”

“What if I don’t want to be a Marleyan?! What does being Marleyan have to do with shit? Maybe Elias was right all along.”

Marcel’s voice was nothing but a hiss now. “Stop talking like that, do you want to suffer the consequences?”

Reiner looked agitated at this and his hands clenched at his sides. Lilith slowly made her way up from the table; Lukas followed suit. Soon enough, they were both standing on the opposite side of the table while watching everything unfold.

“You’re just delusional.” Reiner said through gritted teeth. Porco’s eyes snapped up to meet his and he balled his fist. In a second, he had lunged over to Reiner but was stopped by Marcel yet again. 

“Porco, enough! We didn’t work this hard for nothing!” he pleaded, pulling his brother away from Reiner as best as he could. By now, Bertholdt had stood up and stood beside Reiner defensively. Lilith turned her gaze to Lukas with hopes he’d have a solution to the problem or at least a next move. Instead, she got a shrug. 

Porco’s chest heaved as he surrendered to his restraint. His eyes bore into Reiner’s with such intensity that they almost glowed; the latter not budging one bit. “I don’t get it. I work my ass off and clearly was the better candidate, but you got in? This entire thing is rigged. Only because you kiss Marleyan ass! You think being an honorary Marleyan will get your dad to love you? You’re a joke!”

Reiner let out a gasp at his words, obviously taken aback. Lilith and Lukas were shocked at this and shared a look before turning back to the commotion unfolding before them. Porco continued. 

“You think I don’t hear you crying like the bitch you are? ‘Oh Bertholdt, once I’m a warrior, my parents will love me.’ Well, they won’t! Your mom’s just using you so she can remain safe while you -” 

Marcel yanked his brother back with such force that it completely cut him off mid-sentence. “ENOUGH!”

Lilith noticed that Reiner’s shoulders had slumped now. Small tremors started to rake through his body, he was visibly in distress. Bertholdt slowly raised a hand and placed it on Reiner’s shoulder in an attempt to comfort him. 

“You’re the most pathetic excuse for a warrior. Then on top of that, you want to go speaking for everyone like you’re oh, so knowledgeable about anything and everything. I’ll always be Eldian. You’ll always be Eldian. And they’ll always be Marleyan.” Porcos eyes flashed towards where Lilith and Lukas stood. The anger in his face softened slightly when he saw how absolutely mortified Lilith was. Her face was red, her brows were pulled up in confusion, and tears were beginning to brim her eyes. His expression faltered and he looked down at the ground again with a grunt. “Let go of me, Marcel. I’m leaving.”

The brunette reluctantly let go and watched as his brother stomped away, leaving everyone else there to pick up the pieces of what just happened. When he was far enough, Lilith could hear the faintest sobs coming from Reiner. As she looked at him, she saw his head hung low; his wrist rising up to wipe away the tears that had fallen down his face. 

“Reiner,” Lilith said softly while reaching her hand out to him. She stopped herself, the idea of her trying to comfort him seeming to do more hard than good in her mind. “I’m so sorry.”

He didn’t say anything and just stood there; the tremors raking over his body were slowing down as Bertholdt continued to comfort him. His voice was soft. 

“Don’t listen to him, Reiner. You know that’s just how he is.”

“Why me?” Reiner asked, the sadness evident in his voice. “What did I ever do to him?”

Pieck had made her way over at this point and stood in front of Reiner. Like always, she looked calm and collected despite what had just happened. “It’s not that you’re weak. He probably sees you as a threat. In a way, he probably sees himself in you.” her gaze turned to Lilith now. “Please don’t take it to heart; he’s just always angry about something. He’ll get over it.” she said with a slight smile. 

“Sounds like someone we know.” Lukas muttered under his breath as he crossed his arms. Lilith just nudged him lightly in protest. 

“No, Eli was just pure horrid. I doubt Porco is the same way.”

“I’d beg to differ.” Reiner sniffed before turning to face Lilith. His eyes were red, but the tears were gone. There was a look of determination on his face. “Porco’s right. I don’t deserve the Armour.”

Marcel clenched his fists at those words. “I’m sorry, Reiner.”

“Why are you sorry?” Reiner asked, turning his body around to face Marcel. “All you’ve been doing is apologizing. Why?”

“Let’s go. Break is almost over and Zeke is probably wondering where we are.”

With that, Marcel began walking back towards the headquarters. Lilith’s gaze followed him as he slowly but surely got further away. I guess that answered her question; Porco was not okay. A sigh escaped her as her gaze fell to the ground. 

“You know, I should just give it a rest.” she muttered under her breath, earning her a look from Reiner. 

“Huh?”

“Maybe I should just stay put and not bother trying to make friends, whether they’re Eldian or Marleyan. I just seem to cause problems everywhere I go.” she could feel her eyes burn and promptly scrunched her nose when she felt the same burn in her nostrils. If she didn’t control herself, she’d start crying.

“T-that’s not true!” Bertholdt exclaimed, turning his body to face her. He took a few steps until he was by her side, his tall form just an inch or two above Lukas. “Don’t let him make you feel bad, you did nothing wrong.”

“Ah,” Lukas breathed as he wrapped an arm around Lilith’s shoulders. “Bertholdt is right. Come on, they need to go back anyway.”

Lilith smiled reluctantly as she made eye contact with the others. As much as she wanted to protest, she knew they were right. At least she had some kind of relief that it wasn’t actually her fault that Porco got left behind. There was still one thing she wanted to do before she headed off. 

Reiner watched as Lilith took a couple steps towards him. His eyes were still tinged a bit pink from his crying, and some tears had dried; staining his face in the process. Her smile remained the whole time. 

“I guess it makes two of us...I hope you don’t let his words get to you, either. I’m sure you were the perfect pick for the Armour...and I’m really proud of you all.”

Relief flushed over her as she saw a smile spread across his lips, although slowly, but eventually it was there. Instinctively, she placed her hand on his shoulder and gave a light squeeze. The contact took him back a bit, but soon he relaxed and melted under her touch. Hardly anyone shows him any kind of affection, so this was new. 

Finally, Lilith pulled away and brought her hands to the back of her head before unclipping her hair and fixing it again. All the walking and wind had caused some of her hair to fall out, so she wanted to fix it before beginning her walk home. Once she was finished, she gave them one final look. “I’ll keep an eye out during the send-off. If I don’t see you before you leave, I hope you stay safe.” she mainly spoke to Reiner and Bertholdt since they were two of the candidates who were selected to leave. Annie was still off on her own and figured it best not to bother her. “All four of you.”

Bertholdt smiled and rubbed the back of his head nervously. “Heh...thanks, Lilith. We’ll look for you, too.”

That was the last time Lilith would be seeing her Warrior friends, at least four of them, for quite some time.


	3. Savior

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 5 years have passed now, making Lilith the age of sixteen. While the other Warriors have been over in Paradis, Lilith and Lukas have been strengthening their friendships with the Warriors who remained at home. Even though the Warriors are honorary Marleyans now, it doesn't save them from the plague of judgement surrounding them. Lilith soon learns that it's not just the Eldians who suffer at the hands of the extremists, but anyone who gets in their way.

Time went by and seemed to drag on, day by day and night by night. 

For Lilith, some days were tougher than others, but it was nothing that couldn’t be handled with the company of her friends. She was fortunate to not have had to deal with Elias anymore. Occasionally she would see him out in the street, but she’d turn away or walk in a different direction to avoid him. Never once did he notice her, and she thanked the Heavens for that.

Lukas was always around and they were forever doing things together. Walking, errands, chores around each other’s houses and the like. Now that they were both older, they found themselves going out more often. Their favourite place to go was the cafe; it was Lilith’s favourite to visit during the summer months. Little bistro sets would be set up outside and they’d sit, sipping their drinks and listening to the birds sing around them and the hustle and bustle of human life. 

To her heart’s content, she also managed to keep quite a close friendship with the Warriors. She became very close to Pieck, in particular. Since they were honorary Marleyans, they were able to hang out more often without prying eyes, although some glares were evident among some of the general public. They didn’t care, though. Zeke remained an older brother figure, much like Lukas was to her already. He took his role at the Warrior Headquarters seriously and was moving up quite quickly, so he didn’t really spend much time with the group anymore. That was fine. 

Porco was quite a character, though. After the Warriors departed, he went into a downward spiral for weeks. It must have been hard to not only work so hard for something and get turned down, but to also be separated from his brother. It was almost as if he didn’t know what to do with himself, as if he felt incomplete for the first little while. Lilith made sure to give him space but always asked how he was doing. He didn’t show it, but deep down he appreciated it. However, it did take some time for him to open up. If anything, he seemed to get along pretty well with Lukas. They’d often be seen together sitting on the park benches or practicing their throws and catches. In a way, Lukas was able to help Porco adjust to life without Marcel until his return. 

It was Friday evening and the four friends were sitting on the patio of their favourite cafe. Lilith wore a lavender colored chiffon dress; her hair pulled into a side braid. It was much longer than it was five years ago, reaching a little past her hips as she sat down. Lukas leaned back in his chair, his black button up opened slightly at the top to allow airflow during the rather warm evening. Pieck and Porco both wore their uniforms; their jackets draped across the back of their chairs. 

Pieck let out a sigh as she leaned her head back; her body slouching in the chair until her head rested on the back of it. “They’re talking about sending Zeke over to Paradis, now.”

Lilith took a sip of her latte, her eyes locked on Pieck. After she placed her cup back down on the saucer, she licked her lips of the foam. “Oh?”

“Mmm. They’re saying the Warrior unit is taking too long and they want to find out what’s happened.”

“That’s only mildly concerning.” Lukas commented before taking a gulp of his, now cold, black coffee. Even though he was only seventeen now, he had begun to grow facial hair. The light stubble forming over his jaw, cheeks, upper lip and chin actually framed his chiseled face quite well. It was no surprise that people would always gawk at him when they passed him in the streets. 

“Lukas.” Lilith hissed, giving him a little nudge. “I’m sure they’re fine. We don’t know what it’s like over there...they’re doing their best.”

“You know,” Porco began as he picked up his mug. He brought it close to his chest and shook it slightly, making the liquid inside spin into a little whirlpool. It was his way of stirring the drink without fussing over using a spoon. “This mission would’ve been done already if I’d been the one to get the Armour.”

Lukas’ brows pressed together; baffled. “You’re still going on about that?” the blonde just shrugged and gulped down the rest of his drink in one swift swig. 

Pieck’s voice was soft, as always. “You know, Pock, it’s not nice to dwell on things you can’t change. You’ll get your opportunity.”

His brows furrowed as he almost choked on his drink. His gaze turned to Pieck who was still lazily slouching in her chair with her eyes closed. “How many times do I have to tell you not to call me that?” expecting some kind of retaliation, his ego completely deflated when all she did was laugh. He just rolled his eyes and sunk into his chair; his hands shoving into his pant pockets.

Lilith just smiled and adjusted herself in her chair. “Pieck’s right. Your time will come, don’t worry.”

“Mmm.” he muttered in response, keeping his gaze on the table. She just kept staring at him; the disbelief vanished from her mind when it came to him years ago. Her and Lukas both learned rather quickly just how Porco worked, and it was just best to let him brood when he wanted to. He’d get over himself. It was when she’d poke and prod at his feelings that he’d become flustered. 

“So, Lilith.” Pieck sat up now, her long dark hair falling over her shoulders. “Anything new with you?”

“Oh, not really.” she fiddled around with her empty glass. “Same old.”

“Not true.” Lukas’ annoying and coy voice sang. “She’s been saving up.”

“Oh, is that so? What for?” Pieck asked with a little more emotion and energy in her voice. Lilith took a deep breath and upon her exhale, she slouched back into her chair.

“I want to open my own cafe. I need something else to do. Odd jobs just aren’t cutting it and I want to be on my own. Just...tired of things. You know?”

The tension was evident in her voice and not only did Pieck pick up on it, but Lukas and Porco did as well. The grumpy blonde even looked up from burning holes in the table; his eyes locked onto her face. 

Lukas sat up now with one arm on the table. “What’s up?”

“What do you mean?”

“‘Tired of things’, what’s that? What’s going on?”

She knew no matter how hard she tried, she could never hide anything from Lukas. The way he stared at her, intensity underneath his cool and blue gaze, was enough to send shivers up her spine. Even if she tried to beat around the bush, he’d find a way to get the truth out. 

“It’s my dad.”

“Damn it, Lils. Can I just sock him in his face already?”

Porco slowly straightened out his posture on the chair before stretching out his arms. As he did so, a yawn escaped him and caused his eyes to water slightly. Surely, it was the mention of violence that got his attention. Lilith just rolled her eyes.

“No, Lukas, you can’t sock him in the face. He’s still my dad.”

“So? The asshole’s never treated you like a daughter.”

Her hand immediately clasped over his which was resting on the table. Her voice came out in a sharp whisper. “This is not a conversation I want to be having right now.”

Lukas just stared at Lilith, her own gaze was stern. Within a few seconds, he slipped his hand out from under hers and raised both of his up in defeat; his back slouching back against the chair. “Fine. My apologies.”

She stood up then and began to gather the dirty dishes that were left by everyone. Lukas watched in astonishment as she did this. “You know, they get paid to do that.”

“It’s fine, I want to help. I’ll be back, if you’ll please excuse me.”

The three watched as she walked away and into the cafe with the dirty dishes in tow. Lukas let out a big sigh and turned back to face Pieck and Porco. He hung his head back in frustration and rubbed his face with both hands. “I don’t know what to do with her.”

Pieck’s usually soft and calm expression was more flat now. It was concerned, if anything. “Has she always had trouble with her father?”

“God, from the day I met her. The man’s a menace and just fear mongered her for her whole life.” Lukas replied before sitting up straight. “I try to encourage her to get out and do more things, but she insists on helping her mom. Her health isn’t too good.”

“Hm, and that probably puts her in stressful situations being around her father.”

“Yeah. I kind of wish the asshole would’ve dropped dead by now but he’s a machine.” Lukas’ voice was nothing but a mutter; he wanted to be quiet with that last comment in case Lilith came back. 

“What does he do?”

Lukas looked up and met Porco’s gaze. The latter was sitting up on his seat with his arms crossed in front of him. As far as he was concerned, that was the first time in a long time that he’s ever willingly asked a question that wasn’t about himself. Lukas took one look behind him to make sure Lilith wasn’t there before leaning against the table, making sure to get as close to the others as he could. Porco and Pieck followed suit and eventually, all three of them were huddled closely around the small bistro table.

“He yells at her a lot. Cuts her down. Nothing she ever does is right or good enough. That’s why I try so hard to get her out of the house. She can go days, even a week without going out. The longer she’s in there, the more I worry about her. I think that’s also why she tries so hard to be close to people, regardless of who they are. The girl’s got so much love to give but no one to give it to.”

Pieck sighed. “It’s like she doesn’t want to forget what kindness and love are supposed to feel like.”

“There’s more.” Porco muttered. “You’re just not saying it.” 

Lukas just looked at him. Porco was right, but Lukas wasn’t sure if it was his place to say. In retrospect, he already spewed most of it. Before he could formulate any kind of words, Porco began again. 

“He hits her.”

The way Lukas averted his gaze was enough confirmation for Porco. His lips pursed to the side as he turned his gaze over to the sidewalk. He tried to distract himself by watching the people that walked by, but it didn’t help. The three remained in a sad silence, not really knowing how to carry on the conversation. 

“I’m back.” Lilith said calmly as she took her seat again. Porco turned his gaze to her almost immediately which was something that took her by surprise since he never did that. “Everything okay?”

The silence worried her. Usually, Lukas would be talking their ears off, but he wasn’t. It was then that a voice called her name out from behind her. When she turned, her eyes widened in absolute horror. Her friends followed her gaze to a middle aged man standing on the sidewalk with a briefcase in his hands. A look of contempt was written all over his face. 

“Shit. Speak of the damn devil.” Lukas breathed quietly, earning him a side eye from Porco before he returned his gaze to the man on the street. 

“Lilith Rosenburg.” His voice was acidic. Lilith, very visibly shaken, proceeded to stand from her seat. When she did, Lukas did as well. He’s not sure why, it was just instinct. “I should’ve known.” He took his time staring amongst her friends, starting with Lukas then moving onto Pieck. When he got to Porco, he scoffed. It wasn’t every day he was met with the same vile glare that he’d give off to other people so freely. Just the sight of him made his blood boil, and not just because he’s Eldian. Instead of causing a scene right then and there, he decided to turn and walk away. He took one more glance at the group before disappearing behind the cafe. 

Lilith sunk down into her seat and placed her forehead on the table; her arms wrapping over her head. “Dammit. I wasn’t expecting him back home for a few more days.”

“Who the hell was that?” Porco asked as he turned to face Lilith again. He had a pretty good idea, but wanted to hear it from her. She just groaned against the table. 

“My dad.”

“Why don’t you stay the night?” Lukas asked. The frustration was evident in his voice no matter how hard he tried to subside it. “Or two. However long you want.”

“No, I better go. I’ll just get the hard part done and over with.” her voice came out almost monotonous now as she stood; the chair sliding across the paved stonework. “Sooner rather than later.”

“I’m worried about you, Lils.” Lukas stood beside her now. “Please.”

Before she could respond, she was caught off guard by movement to her left. When she turned, she saw Porco standing next to her, his hands resting at his sides. His brows were furrowed, as always, but his expression was different than it usually was. He took a few seconds to formulate what he wanted to say before surprising her completely. 

“I’m worried, too.”

Lilith stood there completely taken aback. Porco was worried about her? Never in the five years of knowing him did she ever think he would admit such a thing. He always seemed distant and to himself. She began to wonder exactly why he was worried, but then figured Lukas must’ve said something. Normally she would’ve scowled at him for airing her business, but at that given moment she wasn’t particularly in the mood. When she noticed how intently Porco was staring at her, she turned her gaze away and backed away from the table. Just then, Pieck stood up.

“And three makes a crowd, count me in this worry fest. Is there anything we can do?”

“I’ll be fine. Really. Just, don’t worry about me.” Lilith said, trying to keep her composure. If not for herself, but so that her friends didn’t worry any more than they clearly did. “It’s nothing I haven’t dealt with before. I’ll see you guys later.”

As she turned and began walking away, she heard Lukas faintly call her name. It took everything she had to not turn around. Eventually, she was out of sight and her friends were left at the cafe in silence. 

____________________

Since Lilith got home, she was lucky to not have seen her father and immediately shut herself in her room. A part of her was wondering why her mother hadn’t even checked on her yet, but she figured her father already spoke to her before she got home. She didn’t want to draw any attention to herself in her room, so she resorted to staying on her bed the entire time. Maybe if she didn’t walk around, the floorboards wouldn’t creak and her parents would leave her alone. 

She glanced over at the clock. 11:45. A soft sigh escaped her as she reached over and shut off her bedside lamp, promptly rolling over afterwards to get comfortable for the night. Just as she was about to drift to sleep, her door yanked open and light from the hallway pooled into her room. 

Startled, she turned over and saw her father standing in her doorway. His expression was barren which sent a chill up her spine. 

“F-father, I…”

“Come with me.” he said, his voice deep. It made her think that he was drinking, but he wasn’t swaying or slurring his speech just yet. 

“Now? Where?”

“I want to show you something.”

Lilith warily got off of her bed before standing still. She really didn’t want to go; flashbacks of previous punishments flooded her mind and she felt her heart begin to palpitate against her chest.

“Grab a jacket.”

She made her way over to her closet without a word and grabbed her jacket. It was a deep, forest green wool that went down to her mid thighs. Long and thick enough to keep her warm during cold nights like this one. Once she was ready, she followed her father down the stairs and out the front door. 

They walked in silence the entire time. Lilith was too afraid to say anything; trying to stay as quiet as she possibly could. Her eyes panned around the empty streets and a feel of dread suddenly took over her. A father is supposed to be a figure of protection, but all she felt was absolute terror. Soon enough, they neared one of the bars that were hidden within one of the many alleyways. He opened the door and motioned for her to go inside. 

“But I’m not o-” Lilith began quietly, but was immediately silenced by her father who cut her off with a hiss. 

“Get in there.”

She obliged and quickly walked in. Once inside, she was hit with the pungent smell of body odour, cheap booze and piss. The entire place was foul. Heads turned to face the door as they walked in and her stomach turned when she saw the grins that plastered themselves over the many faces of the men in there. Some of them were old enough to be her grandfather. 

Her father grabbed her upper arm roughly and ushered her across the room to one of the back hallways, eventually coming up to a door. He quickly opened it and nudged her down the stairs before closing and locking the door behind them.

“Father, what is this?”

“Don’t ask questions. Just walk.”

As they walked down the dimly lit hallway, Lilith could make out the faintest of cries coming from one of the rooms in the basement of the bar. She could feel goosebumps pop up all over her arms as they got closer and closer until finally, they stopped at the door in which the cries were emitting from. She wanted to tell her father to let her go home, but she knew full well that he wouldn’t. He leaned over and gave a strong knock which caused the sounds to cease, if but for a moment. With a few clicks, the door unlocked and her father swung it open. Lilith was not prepared for the sight that fell before her.

Her hesitation irritated her father and she felt his strong hand push her mid back; forcing her into the room before slamming the door behind them. Her eyes widened in horror as she looked down. There was a young man on his knees, his forehead was resting on the ground beneath him. His body rose frantically with his breaths and his hands were tied behind him; the floor splattered with his blood. 

“Father, what is this?!” Lilith whispered, her gaze not leaving the man on the floor. Her father took off his jacket and hung it up before walking over to the poor soul on the ground.

“This,” he said cruelly as he knelt down beside the man, his hands gripping his blonde hair before pulling his head back roughly. “Is a filthy, Eldian devil.”

Lilith’s hand instinctively covered her mouth as she gasped. Her eyes began to burn as she looked at the man in front of her. He was wearing a Warrior candidate uniform which was now tattered and torn with splatters of his own blood. His blonde hair was even stained and was a mess; his hazel eyes barely noticeable through the swelling on his face. He looked too sweet to have something like this done to him and it made Lilith’s stomach turn. 

“He’s a Warrior Candidate!” Lilith exclaimed as she took a step towards him. Her father raised his hand to her, causing her to stop. When she did, he stood up; his hand was still grasping tightly at the man’s hair below him. In one swift movement, he barreled his fist down with a hard punch. Lilith gasped. “Stop!”

“Every time you try to intervene, he gets another one.”

“But father, h-” she was silenced again as her father delivered yet another horrible blow. She never felt so helpless in her life. 

“Warrior Candidate, Eldian, same shit, different pile.” he growled while pulling the man’s head back so he could take a better look at him. “Ah...you fellas got Grice.”

“Sure did.” One of her father’s friends said with a smirk. 

“This one’s on his way to becoming the next Beast Titan.” her father explained before letting go; the man’s body falling limply to the ground. Lilith watched as his breathing slowed and his eyes shut. It was painful to stand there and do nothing, and her father knew it. He kept his eyes on her the whole time as he grabbed a towel that was offered to him, wiping his hands clean of the blood that now stained them. “What’s on your mind, Lilith?”

“This is wrong, let him go.” she said, fighting back tears. Much to her horror, her father turned around and wailed his captive right in the stomach with his boot. Within seconds, vomit gushed out of his mouth from the force. 

“I said every time you try to intervene, he gets it.”

“You asked me what was on my mind and I told you!” the protested, not caring that the tears were streaming from her face. “Why are you doing this!?”

His eyes darkened as he turned and made his way towards her. The closer his form got, the more afraid she became and worried that she would be next. “Because this is what Eldians are. This is what they deserve. And I’ll be damned if my only child, my DAUGHTER, will be skulking around with the likes of them!” his face was centimetres away from hers and she could feel his hot breath and spit on her face as he screamed. She felt absolutely sick to her stomach. At the corner of her eye, she noticed someone walking over to them. As she turned and took the person into her perspective, she noticed it was none other than Elias. She kept her lips pressed together and grit her teeth at the sight of him. Of course he’d be here with her father doing shady shit like this. If she could claw his eyes out, she would. But she thought it better to ignore him. 

“Ah, the Eldian sympathizer is at it again. Don’t think that we don’t see you frolicking around the streets with your new friends.” his voice was like listening to nails on a chalkboard; unbearable and aggravating. Her father just continued to glare at her as if waiting for a reaction, but she wouldn’t give him one. She could tell he was becoming inpatient because his foot began to tap the floor. The only thing she could hear in the room then was the shallow breathing of the young man on the floor. Instead of trying to plead with her father again, she resorted to biting her tongue. 

After a few awkward moments of silence, her father raised his hands and snapped his fingers. Immediately, the horde of his friends began going at the man on the floor; kicking, punching and completely destroying him as his cries of protest and pain filled the room yet again. Lilith couldn’t take it anymore and pushed her way past her father and Elias. When she found an opening, she threw herself down to the ground in an attempt to shield the bruised and battered body beneath her, but quickly had the wind knocked out of her as a barrage of punches and kicks found her body instead. She buried her face into the crook of his neck as her arms shielded their faces from anymore harm. If he could be spared even for a moment, she figured her actions were worth it. Another snap was heard and the attacks ceased. Despite the force she just endured, she felt no pain. Not yet, anyway. 

“This is where you want to be? At the bottom of the barrel with these devils?” her father asked her as he grabbed his coat off the hook and threw it on. Lilith just said nothing; not wanting to give him any more satisfaction than what he got already. She noticed a shadow loom over her, which made her cautiously look up. Elias stood over her with not a single look of guilt in his eyes. Instead, they were gleaming with amusement; a sick smile spread across his face. 

“Told you. You’re nothing but an Eldian whore.”

With one swift motion of her father’s hand, everyone began to slowly pour out of the room until finally, only the three remained. Lilith, her father, and the Eldian man she tried so hard to protect. Her father reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a cigar. He placed it between his lips before striking a match on the brick wall and lighting it up. Lilith closed her eyes and listened as her father inhaled the smoke deeply and released his breath slowly into the air; the smell of the cigar quickly taking over the smell of vomit that was on the floor in front of her. 

“You’ve embarrassed this family for the last time, Lilith.” He stated before taking another drag. He held it in for a few seconds before letting it out. “If I see you back at the house, I’ll send you across the ocean with the restorationists myself. You have my word.”

Lilith bit her lip to keep her sobs from filling the room. She didn’t want her father to hear how badly his words made her feel. Her form still hovered over the man beneath her; her arms beginning to shake as the pain began to slowly set in from where she was brutally attacked. Eventually, she heard her father’s footsteps fade off into the distance, the door closing slowly behind him. 

When she felt all was clear, she pulled herself away from the beaten form beneath her and saw that his eyes were closed. His breathing was incredibly shallow; a mix of blood and vomit sticking to the underside of his cheek. She tried to rouse him awake. 

“Hey, hey, get up. Please, wake up.” she tried to keep her voice quiet, but it was hard to do so when she was keeping back her own cries. “Please, Grice. Wake up!”

He slowly opened his eyes and she noticed his pupils had trouble dilating. Once he focused on her face, he tensed up; a groan leaving his throat as he tried to get away. 

“No, no please. I want to help you! They’re gone, I’m not going to hurt you.” she said softly her left hand gently cupping the back of his head as he rolled over; his back pressed against her lap. “I’m so sorry they did this to you, you didn’t deserve this at all.” 

“D-did you...did you s-stop them?” he asked, his voice weak and broken. Lilith’s brows pursed together as she tried to keep her tears welled up inside. 

“I tried. I tried covering you.”

“You...y-you didn’t get hurt. D-did you?” 

She took a deep breath and hung her head. “I did...but nothing compared to you. Please, let me help you.”

It didn’t take much convincing and soon, Lilith was untying the bonds around his wrists. Once he was freed, he tried to stand himself up. Lilith noticed that his legs began to give way and she quickly put herself under his arm, catching him before he lost his balance. Her one arm instinctively wrapped around him while her other hand held his forearm over her shoulder. 

“Thanks.” he breathed as he raised his head up. Lilith could see the old blood stained on his neck as he did so; the gut wrenching feeling returning to her. “What’s...your name?”

“I’m Lilith. Lilith Rosenburg.” she replied while helping him avoid his pile of vomit on the floor. “You?”

“I’m Colt Grice.” he said softly. “It’s...nice to meet you.”

She smiled faintly as they reached the door. “I wish we met under different circumstances, Colt.” 

“Heh...yeah.” he replied weakly. His weight seemed to get heavier and Lilith began to panic. She opened the door and cautiously peeked around the corner to make sure no one else was there. She didn’t think going back the way she came would be good and hoped that there was an exit further down the hall. Almost as if he could read her mind, Colt spoke quietly. “There’s a way out just down this way.” he said as he pointed to the left. Determined, Lilith tightened her grip on him and they began their slow advance to the exit.  
Once they made it outside, they moved as fast as they could down the streets. Lilith’s body ached now, but she knew it was nothing compared to what Colt was going through. She turned her gaze to him momentarily and noticed how pale he had become; his shirt was completely drenched in a cold sweat. 

“Where should I take you?” she asked softly, not wanting to get any attention from anyone on the streets. 

“H-headquarters. There’s a...med ward in there. I d-don’t want my little brother...seeing me like this.” every word was a struggle for him and Lilith felt terrible. Her breath hitched when she realized she’d have to go to the headquarters. She hoped that she wouldn’t get reprimanded. 

After a few more minutes of walking, the Warrior Headquarters was finally within reach. Relief filled both of them as they neared the gates, but once a guard began approaching, Lilith couldn’t help but become rigid in fear. Colt noticed this and gave her a gentle squeeze with the arm that was around her shoulders. “Don’t worry…”

She just nodded before coming to a stop just in front of the guard. His expression was stern and shocked all at once. 

“Grice? What the hell happened to you?” he bellowed before turning his gaze to Lilith. “Who’s this? A Marleyan?”

“Please...she saved me.” he replied as best as he could. The guard and Lilith shared a tense look before he turned back to Colt. A sigh escaped him as he placed his gun over his back; his arms quickly reaching over to take Colt from Lilith’s grasp. 

“What happened to him?” he asked her, his voice terrifying. 

“I...he was captured and confined in the basement of one of the alley bars.”

“By who?”

“Just a group of thugs.” she replied, although not giving the full details. As far as she was concerned, she had no father anymore, so it wasn’t all a lie. 

“And you saved him? Why? You’re Marleyan.”

“I saw that he’s a Warrior Candidate and thought that it was in his best interest, as well as all of Marley, that he was protected and retrieved to the best of my ability. I’m sorry if I crossed any lines, it won’t happen again.” she was surprised how calmly she was able to relay that. 

“Hm.” 

She waited patiently as another guard made his way over; his eyes widening at the sight of Colt. The first guard turned and helped Colt into his arms. “Here, take him to the ward. He needs medical attention right away.”

“Yes, sir.” 

Colt turned slightly so he could look at Lilith one more time before being walked towards the building. She remained standing there, her stomach twisting with uncertainty at what would happen to her. 

“It’s late. You were out in the bars alone? How old are you?”

“I...I’m sixteen, sir. I was forced against my will to go.” 

The guard looked over her form carefully before stopping at her cheek. Lilith didn’t notice, but it had been split open during one of the attacks. 

“They got you, too?”

Lilith slowly raised her hand up to her cheek before wincing in pain at the touch. She could feel her arm was bruised badly too, but she couldn’t see anything because of her coat. She hung her head; her hand staying put on her cheek. “Yeah, they did.”

“Where are your parents?”

“They’re gone, sir. I’m alone.” her voice came out cold. The words hurt as they rolled off her tongue, but her father basically disowned her. She figured if she tried detaching herself now, it would make things easier. At least for the night. The guard continued to stand there while contemplating what to do. After a few moments, he cleared his throat and stepped back, his hand pushing the gate open slightly more. 

“You’re a minor and you’re alone. Come, we’ll get you fixed up and you can stay the night in the ward. But tomorrow, you gotta go. There must be someone in the city you can go to.”

“I don’t want to cause trouble, really. I can just-”

“I’m a military official and it would be against my better judgement and oaths to leave a minor to their own at this hour of the night.”

Silenced, Lilith could do nothing but nod. She placed her hands in the pockets of her jacket and proceeded to walk cautiously through the gate of the headquarters. Once it was locked behind her, she waited for the officer to walk ahead before she followed him inside. If she could be honest, she was absolutely terrified. In the same breath, she was getting to experience the environment that her friends had grown up in all these years. The pit of her stomach tightened as another thought crossed her mind, and she hoped to the Heavens that her friends wouldn’t see her during her short stay in the medical ward.


	4. Caress

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lilith wakes up in the medical ward and is in a hurry to get out before her friends realize she is there. After finding her way to a familiar spot, her mind is overcome with the sad realization that she may not have a home to go to anymore. While in a bout of self pity, she finds comfort amongst her friends. However, one of them takes her by surprise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 4! Hope you like. 
> 
> Does anyone know the politics around Honorary Marleyan/Marleyan interactions? At this point I'm just winging it. I mean, I'm not complaining though >.>
> 
> Enjoy!

Morning broke sooner than Lilith would have liked it to. A slight breeze blew through the cracked window, causing the curtains to dance; a ray of sunlight peeking through with every wave. Slowly, Lilith’s eyes fluttered open. As she woke up more, she started to feel her body throb in pain. She tried to recall what happened once she was brought to the ward, but she couldn’t. In her mind, she probably came down from her adrenaline and fell straight to sleep.

Looking at the clock, she noticed it was still early; just about 7:00. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, her lungs releasing air as she tried to sit up on her own. A sharp pain jolted through her side and she almost lost her balance, but she pushed through. Eventually, she was sitting. 

Just then, the same guard that helped her last night came into the ward with one of the doctors on duty. She watched as they went over to one of the other beds, presumably where Colt was. She couldn’t tell since there were curtains that were slightly pulled around the beds which blocked her view. She didn’t mind though; the privacy was appreciated. Low voices began to mutter and she couldn't help but listen in; it wasn’t like she had anything else to do anyway.

“What were you doing out so late, Grice?” the guard from last night asked. “Sneaking drinks again?”

Lilith’s attention was caught particularly when she heard Colt speak. His voice was still frail, but nowhere near as weak as it was the night before. “I was...I’m sorry, sir.”

The guard scoffed. “I’m just curious as to how you got caught by thugs. Of all people.”

“I was just sitting down at the bar and a man waved me over. I figured he needed help with something, so I went.” he paused for a moment, Lilith held her breath as she waited for him to continue. “Once we were out of sight, I just remember getting hit and blacking out.”

“Do you remember what he looked like?”

Lilith bit her bottom lip as she waited. She had a feeling that the man Colt was talking about was her father. A part of her hoped that it wasn’t, not that it would change anything anyway. Her shoulders slumped and she hung her head; her gaze on her hands that were in her lap. Eventually, Colt answered.

“No, I...I don’t.”

Footsteps and voices could be heard approaching from the hallway which caused Lilith to look up. When she did, she watched as two people made their way into the ward frantically. Her nerves felt absolutely shot when she realized who it was. 

“Yeager, Galliard, can I help you?” the guard asked. Hearing those names bellow out of his mouth made Lilith feel five times smaller and she wished she could just disappear right then and there. 

“We wanted to check on Colt,” Zeke replied calmly. “Heard he got beat up pretty bad. You’re lucky it’s the weekend.”

“Ain’t that the truth. Well, go ahead and catch up. Don’t stay too long because he needs his rest.”

“Yes, sir.”

Lilith could hear someone making their way over to where she was now. The curtain was pulled back slightly, revealing both the doctor and guard. There was a clipboard in the former’s grasp as he quickly scanned through the paperwork, his pen gliding across the paper so he could check things off as he went. 

“How are you feeling this morning, Miss?” he asked, his voice was much softer and kinder than the guard’s. It made some of the tension in the air go away, at least for the time being. 

“Sore.” she replied bluntly, not wanting to speak too loud in fear that her friends would hear. 

“You had to get a few stitches in your cheek, it was split open from blunt force. You might have a hard time eating for the next few days, so I’d suggest soups so you don’t stress out your muscles.”

Lilith just nodded in agreeance, making mental notes as the doctor went on. 

“You have a broken rib, and there’s not much we’re able to do about that. Try not to do any strenuous work, keep your posture good, apply ice if the pain gets too much. We can prescribe medicine for the pain, if you’d be interested.”

“I’m okay. Thank you though.”

The doctor continued to check things as he went. “Other than that, you took a lot of hits. There’s bruising on your back, legs, arms…” his eyes flashed up for a second so he could see Lilith. She just hung her head in shame. “Just try to rest as much as possible. Are you sure you don’t want any medication?”

“Yes, I’m sure. Thank you for your help.” her voice was but a whisper. “Is there anything else? I should probably go now. I was told I’d have to leave by morning.”

Both the doctor and the guard pursed their lips together and shared a look. The latter gave a swift nod, causing the doctor to clear his throat. 

“No, that’s everything. Take care of yourself.” he said before quickly making his way out of the room. The guard cleared his throat and placed his hands behind him; his eyes falling on Lilith’s form as he thought of what to say.

“You’ve done a good service by helping Grice get back last night. You have my thanks, and the thanks of Grice and his family I’m sure.”

“It’s no problem, really. I just…-” she stopped herself briefly before sighing. She didn’t want to say anything that would jeopardize her anymore. “I knew he’s an important asset, so I did what I hoped anyone would do.”

“That he is.” 

An awkward silence fell among them for a moment. The voices from across the room suddenly filled the room, and Lilith found herself listening in. 

“Are you even old enough to be drinking, Colt?” Zeke asked. If she wasn’t in so much pain or in an awkward situation, Lilith probably would have laughed. “You’re lucky you got out of there in one piece. Well, mostly anyway.”

“Yeah, I know. I probably wouldn’t even be here yet if it wasn’t for the girl who got me out of there.”

“Girl?” Porco asked rather quickly. “You’re getting girls now?”

Zeke chuckled as Colt’s face flushed pink. “No! I’m serious. She got hurt...I just hope she’s okay.”

Realizing that Colt probably didn’t even know she was there made her determination to leave that much stronger. She pulled herself away from listening to their conversation and slowly swung her legs over the side of the bed. She underestimated how bruised she was and hissed in pain as the underside of her thigh pressed against the hard bed frame. 

“Hey, don’t overdo it.” The guard said. “If you need more rest, it’s fine.”

“I appreciate it, but I need to go. I don’t want to cause any more trouble.” she said as she finally stood up. 

“What did she look like?” she could hear Porco mutter from across the room.

“I can’t remember much...but her hair was red. She also had blue eyes if I remember correctly. In any case, she was pretty.” 

Lilith felt her cheeks flush red at those words. She desperately needed to get out of there before they all realized she was in the room. She turned her gaze to the guard one last time before giving him a weak smile. “Thank you again,” she said quickly and quietly. “Please take care.”

“You too, Miss. Rosenburg.” he replied, giving her a polite tip of his hat. 

That was it. That was all that needed to be said to catch the attention of at least two of the Warriors in the room. 

As she passed the threshold of the ward, she turned to take one last glance inside. When she did, she saw the eyes of all three of them on her. Colt’s expression was almost as surprised as the others, but Porco took the cake. His usual scowl was replaced with an unsettling look, his mouth slightly agape as he had trouble processing the situation before him. Lilith suppressed the desire to greet them in any way and proceeded to make her way down the hall as fast as she could. 

____________________

As the sun rose higher into the sky, Lilith found the addition of her jacket more and more uncomfortable. She spent the next short while walking the streets and trying to avoid eye contact with anyone who she crossed paths with. Going home wasn’t an option and, in the same breath, trying to find refuge amongst her extended family was probably impossible as well. The only option she really had was to go to Lukas’ but she also didn’t want to burden him with her problems. 

As of now, she was just in a state of disbelief. Surely she could go back home; she just had to give it some time. Right? No matter how much she tried to find loopholes or give herself a sense of hope, she ultimately found herself succumbing to the unbearable realization that she really had nowhere to go.

After about a half an hour, she slowly made her way to the park where she’d sit with her friends. It was still pretty early, a few people were already walking around and about which oddly eased some of the tension she felt. Soon enough, the tree that sheltered her go-to table came into view and she found herself walking towards it. Memories began to flood back into her mind of when she was young; her naivete more than likely being her saviour during those times of her life. She sat down at the table in the same spot she did during their first meet up and left her hands resting at her sides; her eyes closing softly. The faces of her friends flashed in her mind and she focused on the ones who got sent off five years ago. Marcel, Annie, Reiner and Bertholdt. Were they okay? Are they taking care of themselves? What do they look like now? Would they remember her?

Lilith continued to sit in the comfort of the familiar space underneath the tree, completely unaware that someone had followed her. 

The feeling of the bench creaking beneath her startled her as she realized someone else had just sat down next to her. Her eyes shot open and she turned to her side just to come face to face with Pieck. 

“Hey,” Pieck said softly with a smile. “What are you doing here this early and by yourself?”

Lilith let out a sigh of relief before turning her head away in an attempt to hide her bandaged cheek. “I could say the same for you. Don’t you get the weekends off?”

“Mmm. Yeah. But I like to keep up with the schedule anyway. It just makes things easier.” she said as she rested her elbow on the table; the side of her head being propped in her palm. “You don’t need to hide it. I’ve seen it.”

Lilith could feel the flush of her cheeks as she reluctantly reached up to her face. “Oh...this.” her voice was a whisper. 

“Was it your father?” Pieck asked knowingly, her gaze never leaving Lilith as she watched her hang her head. 

“His friends.”

There was a silence that fell between the two just then. Although they spoke no words, there was also no tension. Just the perfect company that both of them offered each other. Pieck stretched slightly before resting her arm on the table again. 

“Colt told us everything he remembers. How you shielded him from the thugs. How you helped him back to the headquarters. He’s really grateful, and so are we.”

Pieck’s words made Lilith smile slightly, but not for long. The wound on her cheek prevented her from showing too much emotion. Pieck just placed a reassuring hand on Lilith’s shoulder and sighed. No words needed to be said; the feeling alone was enough to make Lilith’s eyes tear up. On any other given day, she would have given in to her emotions and let it all out. She wished she could just collapse on Pieck’s shoulder and succumb to her feelings, but she didn’t want to be a burden. In her eyes, she wasn’t a child anymore. She needed to learn how to deal with her own problems, especially since this was a bed she had made for herself in the first place. 

“Lils?!”

Both Pieck and Lilith jumped at the frantic cry of an all-too-familiar voice. When they turned, they saw Lukas running over to them. He looked as if he had just been dragged out of bed; his hair all out of sorts. His heel dug into the ground as he came to a stop in front of them which caused pieces of grass to fly up into the air. Sweat made his skin glisten as he struggled to catch his breath, his eyes wide as he took in the sight of the state Lilith was in. 

There were no words that Lukas could convey that would describe anything he was feeling at that given moment. Instead, he carefully took a seat on Lilith’s free side; his hand gently moving her hair out of her face to reveal the bandage on her cheek. As her hair moved out of the way, his eyes wandered to her shoulder and arms where he also noticed the bruises that formed over her skin. He grit his teeth at the sight, his brows furrowing. 

“That fucking bastard…” he muttered. “That good-for-nothing, piece of shit, lame excuse of a father-”

“Lukas, please.” Lilith’s voice was soft and pleading. “I know. It’s my fault, though...I had this coming.”

“The fuck you did, Lilith!” his voice rose slightly. Hearing her full name roll off his tongue caught Lilith’s attention and she turned to look at him, her eyes wide. “You deserved none of this! None at all!” Lukas exclaimed as he gently wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a slight embrace. “None of this is your fault. Do you understand?”

Not wanting to argue, Lilith just nodded her head and leaned into his shoulder. As she started to relax in his arms, her shoulders began to tremble slightly. Upon noticing this, Lukas softly started to rub her back in an attempt to console her. He knew the tears were coming. 

“Hey, sh sh...don’t cry. Don’t you dare waste your tears on him, you hear me? I’ll cup them all up and pour them back into your eyelids.”

Lilith couldn’t help but let out a small chuckle at his comment. Lukas always had a way of making light of any situation. This was a prime example, and she was glad he was suddenly there to brighten her day. She pulled away slightly from him, her head still downwards in an attempt to hide her wounded cheek. 

“What’s wrong?” Lukas asked as he shared a questioning look with Pieck before looking back at Lilith. “Talk to me, Lils.”

“I just...I don’t get it. How did you find out? Did he come looking for me at your place or something?” Lilith asked. 

“No, he didn’t come by. A certain someone did, though.” his gaze ventured off towards the direction he had come from; Lilith’s and Pieck’s followed suit. As if on cue, there was someone making their way over slowly. Upon further inspection, she realized it was Porco. He wasn’t in his usual Warrior attire and had a white shirt and green bomber jacket instead. His hands were shoved into the pockets of his jacket as he casually walked up. Lilith could feel her cheeks flush and for a moment, the pain she felt in her face disappeared. Lukas grinned. “He gave no shits. Came right to the door and asked for me.”

Once Porco reached the group, he stopped right in front of Lilith. She could feel her breath hitch in her throat as she watched his eyes trailing all over her, taking in the wounds that were inflicted on her the night before. His eyes made their way back up to meet her own for a brief moment before he turned away, a pink tinge covering his own cheeks.

“I figured you wouldn’t be the one to reach out, so I went and got Lukas myself.” he finally said as he scratched the side of his jaw. “Hope that’s alright.”

Lilith knew he was right. If she had been left to her own devices, she probably would have just sat idle for a day before trying to go back home. She was relieved and thankful that he thought of her like that, but of course, her mind had to wander into the negative. 

“No, it’s fine. I just hope there was no trouble…”

“Why would there be?”

“I don’t know, I just thought there were still restrictions. Unless I’m just paranoid.” the last part of her sentence trailed off into more of a whisper than anything. 

Lukas shook his head and crossed his arms. “Did you think daddy dearest would be waiting in the bushes to grab another victim?”

Porco scoffed when he saw Lilith nod slightly at the question. “I’d love to see him try.”

“Now now, Pock.” Pieck finally spoke up, the smile evident in her voice. “Don’t go biting off more than you can chew.”

“The hell does that mean?!” 

Pieck stood up now and brushed off her skirt from any debris left from the table. “It means you shouldn’t wish for things like that. You never know what you’ll get. Anyways, I’d better go.” she gently placed a hand on Lilith’s shoulder. “Don’t be a stranger. I’m always here if you need an ear.” 

“Thank you Pieck.” Lilith said with a small smile, her eyes actually meeting Pieck’s gaze for a moment until she began to walk away. After a short while, Lukas cleared his throat. 

“When’s the last time you ate?”

Lilith turned to him, a look of deep thought on her face. “I’m pretty sure yesterday at the cafe.” as soon as she finished her sentence, he stood up from his seat. 

“Want to get breakfast? My treat.”

“I...don’t really want to go anywhere. Not like this, anyway.” she replied. “Thank you, though.”

“Fine, then I’ll go get it and bring it here. Do you want something, Porco?”

Porco blinked a few times as Lukas’ words registered in his head. His hands instinctively found his pockets again as he shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “Nah, I’m good.”

Lukas took one more look at Lilith; his hand gently ruffling up her hair before he pulled away. “I’ll be right back. Don’t run off to any bars, okay? Porco, I’m trusting you with my life here.” he said as held both of his arms out towards Lilith as if he were showcasing her. “Literally, that is my entire life. Don’t let it get sucked into anymore basements by crazy, extremist old men.”

Lilith couldn’t help but giggle. There he went again, classic Lukas. She looked up at Porco and saw that his cheeks were still tinged with pink. Probably even more than before, actually. He looked nervous.

“Yeah, yeah don’t worry. Go get your grub.”

With that, Lukas just grinned and started making his way out of the park. Now that it was just Lilith and Porco remaining at the table, it felt as if time were standing still. She never really got any one on one time with him before, there was always someone there with them. Just then, she felt the bench creak again. She turned her head just a bit and saw that Porco had finally taken a seat next to her. His gaze was on the grass below him while his forearms rested on the top of his thighs; his hands clasping together in between his knees. 

“Are you okay?” he asked, breaking the silence between them. His voice was softer than usual. Upon further inspection, his expression was more relaxed as well and wasn’t pulled into his signature scowl. 

“Right now, I am.” she said as she placed her hands in her lap. “I mean, I’m in pain. Probably will be for days but...I’ll get over it.”

“I’m sorry you had to go through that.”

“It wasn’t your fault. My father is just a sadistic human being. I think the only reason he did that was to try and prove a point to me, but it didn’t work. I just hope Colt is okay.” 

“You know, you don’t have to constantly worry about other people. You can think of yourself, too.”

Taken aback by his comment, Lilith looked up and was a little stunned to see that he was already staring at her. Where was this kind Porco coming from? As if he knew she needed more clarification, he just sighed and continued. 

“You’re so busy pouring into other people all the time. It’s okay to not do that and to make time for yourself. Let other people worry about and take care of you for once. Can you do that?”

“W-what? I just-”

“Damnit, Lilith.” he shifted his body so he was turned towards her slightly; his gaze piercing into hers. She could feel her cheeks flush as she realized just how intently he was staring at her now. It was almost as if this had been bothering him for a long time. “Not one part of this fucked up situation is your fault. You stood up for your beliefs, you helped someone who was in need, and now you need to think of yourself for once. Anytime someone asks how you are or expresses any kind of sympathy, you’re so quick to change the subject to someone else. Can you just accept that maybe for once, someone’s wanting the best for you, too?”

Lilith just continued to stare at him with wide eyes while trying to process what he said. Eventually, albeit slowly, his words made sense. It was just in her nature to be so caring and giving to others, and it was true that she didn’t know how to give herself the same love and attention. She truly had no idea what self care was. Finally, her expression relaxed and she let out a short breath; her gaze returning to her hands that were still in her lap. Porco frowned. 

“Sorry, I...uh, I didn’t mean to come off so harsh.”

“It’s fine. You’re right. Thank you for being honest with me.” she replied quietly. 

They sat there for a few moments in complete silence, neither of them budging for any reason at all. It was then that she became aware about how tired she really was. She didn’t get a whole lot of sleep considering what had happened the night before, and all of the commotion was draining. Her eyes began to flutter a few times before they proceeded to shut for a good minute or two. Suddenly she was pulled back from her drowsiness by a gentle touch. Her eyes opened slightly as she felt her hair being pushed out of her face before being tucked behind her ear. At the corner of her eye, she could see that Porco had moved a little closer. The hand he used to tuck away her hair hovered in the air beside her cheek as if he were contemplating a next move. With a little surge of confidence, she turned to look at him; her cheek gently brushing against his hand as she did so. Instead of moving it away, Porco’s hand ended up gently resting on the curve of her jaw, just under her ear. She quivered slightly under his touch and was shocked; was _the_ Porco Galliard showing an affectionate side? To her?

“Porco?” her voice came out in almost a whisper; their eyes not breaking from each other. He just continued to look at her before turning his gaze to her cheek. He gently smoothed his thumb across the skin that was just under the bandage, careful to not hurt her. His brows began to furrow again and with a sharp intake of breath, he pulled his hand away. 

“Sorry, I…” he was obviously flustered and proceeded to run his hand through his hair as he faced forward again; the grass becoming his main focal point once more. “Got carried away.”

Lilith’s eyes remained on him despite his shift in posture. She could still feel her skin tingling where he had caressed her and she couldn’t help the fluttering feeling in the pit of her stomach. She was still in disbelief that he had shown her any kind of affection. For as long as she’d known him, he’s been a hot-head and prone to bad moods. That is, unless he was around children. Without realizing, she began to smile. 

Before she could say anything, they were pulled from their thoughts by a loud voice calling to them from a few metres away. Lukas was back, and he had an array of food with him.


	5. Changes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lilith opens up to her friends about what happened the night of the attack. She also finds out that two of her friends are going to be sent on another mission to Paradis in search of the four Warriors who left five years ago. Despite this, Zeke hears of Lilith's misfortune and wants to ensure she has a place to call home before their lives change once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! 
> 
> I had a lot of trouble with this chapter. I had 3 days of pure writer's block but I was determined to just get it out of the way tonight. It seems a bit shorter than usual, so I apologize for that. I did try to make up for it with some very veryyyyyyy light fluff and the beginning of *f e e l i n g s*
> 
> Hopefully I will have better luck with the next chapter!

“What’s the matter, Lils?”

Lilith raised an eyebrow before looking over at Lukas while she ripped a piece of her sandwich apart. Without breaking eye contact, she squished the piece down as much as she could before shoving it into her mouth; her jaw slowly chewing down in a rhythm that wasn’t too painful for her sore cheek. “Hm?”

“Ah, shit. I should’ve looked for something easier for you to eat.” Lukas cursed under his breath before rubbing his forehead. “Sorry.”

“Mmm, no it’s fine.” she mumbled as she went to tear away another piece. Her eyes drifted over to Porco who still sat beside her, a sandwich in his hands despite his decline of Lukas’ gesture earlier. He didn’t notice her eyes on him as he proceeded to take a bite, a few crumbs falling onto his chest from the hard crust of the bread. “I really don’t have many choices if I want to avoid dying from starvation.”

A grin spread across Lukas’ lips as he prepared to take a bite of his own sandwich. “Ah, there she is. She’s coming back.”

“Who?” Lilith asked, dumbfoundedly. 

“You. You’re making those little smart alec comments, that’s a good sign. It means you’re not completely lost to us.” he replied before digging in. 

Lilith just smiled slightly, or at least she thought. A tiny surge of pain jolted through her cheek and her hand quickly clasped over the bandage, a hiss escaping her lips. The two guys with her nearly choked on their food as they both tried swallowing quickly to ask if she was okay. Before they could say anything, she raised her hand in wait. 

“It’s fine, it’s fine...I just forgot I have to be careful. Stitches.”

“What even happened that you needed stitches, anyway?” Porco asked as he wiped his mouth with his wrist. Lilith continued to pull apart her sandwich and stuff squished pieces of it inside her mouth. The pieces were small enough that they didn’t hinder her speech. 

“Couldn’t tell you. Everything happened so fast; I didn’t even feel any pain until this morning.” from the corner of her eye, she could see Lukas bobbing his leg under the table in anticipation. She just sighed and rolled her eyes. “Yes, Lukas. What’s your question?”

“Huh?”

“You’re antsy. It means you want to ask me something that you’re not sure if you should. Go ahead, I can’t fight you now anyway.” she was surprised to hear a chuckle erupt from Porco after she said that; today was just a first for everything.

“Like...what even happened? You went home, right?” his gaze caught that of Porco’s which was suddenly cautioning. It was as if Porco didn’t want Lukas to put Lilith in the position to speak about last night’s events; all Lukas did was shrug. 

Despite the question, Lilith continued to tear apart her sandwich. She was finally down to her last few bites. “Well, yes, I went home. I stayed in my room the entire time until almost midnight.” she took a quick moment to shove another piece of food into her mouth. “He came in, said he wanted to show me something and that I needed my jacket. Then we started walking down to the shops.”

Lukas and Porco just sat quietly and listened; neither of them wanting to continue eating while she spoke. Lukas kept his gaze on Lilith while Porco’s dropped to look at the sandwich in his hands, or rather what was left of it. Lilith continued.

“I saw the bar come up and immediately wanted to just go home, but I knew he wouldn’t let me. He forced me to go in.” her brows furrowed in disgust as she remembered everything to a T. “I never felt so violated in my life by just existing in a room before. The men in there were 3 times my age and eyeing me like some kind of snack.”

Porco let out a frustrated sigh and ran his hand through his hair; his eyes closing as he tried to keep in his anger. She didn’t know it, but it was taking everything for him not to go barrelling down to the very same bar and wreaking havoc himself. Lukas noticed this and he reached around Lilith to tap his shoulder lightly. When Porco turned to look at him, Lukas just gave him a reassuring nod to which Porco reluctantly huffed; looking forward once again. 

“We went downstairs, I heard screaming. He led me over to a door, we went inside and that’s where I saw Colt.” she paused again and took a deep breath before continuing. The memories coming back were getting harder for her to convey. “I tried telling them to stop, but that just made them beat him some more. I was told that any time I tried to help him, he’d get it. Eventually I couldn’t take it anymore and just...threw myself onto him. That didn’t stop them.”

“Oh, Lils…” Lukas’ words were so quiet. Just hearing Lilith recount her story was enough to make him tear up. 

“Eventually, I was told that I embarrassed the family for the last time and that if I went back to the house, my so-called father would ensure I’d be put on a boat with the restorationists.”

As much as Lukas wanted to freak out at that, he knew it was the last thing Lilith needed. If anything, she needed somewhere to go. He couldn’t even begin to imagine how she was feeling. His lips parted in anticipation to say something to make her feel better, but his mind went blank. Instead, he rested his elbows on the table and gripped his hair on either side of his head. Surprisingly, Lilith kept her cool. It was almost as if a switch flipped in her mind. 

“Don’t worry about me, Lukas. I’ll think of something and I’ll be okay.”

“Why not come live with me? You know my mom loves you like her own. What if-”

“I can’t do that.” Lilith cut him off, her voice stern. “What if my father finds out? He wouldn’t hesitate to have anything done to you and your family...I won’t put you in that situation.” 

Lukas knew she was right. He stared at her for a few moments before looking away in defeat. The three of them sat there in silence; each other’s company being enough for the time being. 

The park slowly started filling with more people as the sun rose higher in the sky. As Lilith noticed the influx of people, she started to get self conscious of the bandage on her face and tried to hide it. The weight of it on her cheek made everything awkward and all she wanted to do was take it off. Suddenly, as if saving her from her thoughts, a voice called out from behind them. 

“Hey you three, I figured I’d catch you here.” Zeke said as he casually made his way to the table. He took a seat opposite of the others; all three of which were sitting on the same bench. “Lilith, I hope you’re feeling better.”

“Thanks Zeke.” Lilith replied softly, her gaze raising slightly so she could look at him. “What brings you here?”

She watched as he reached into his chest pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. He placed the cigarette between his lips while he began another search in his pockets for the matches. “Well, to make sure you’re okay. But also to tell you all that I’ll be gone for a little while as of today.”

Porco did a double take as Zeke said those words. He watched as the older Warrior successfully lit his cigarette before inhaling deeply and releasing the rotten smoke into the air around the table. “Where the hell are you going?”

Zeke inhaled once more and held the smoke in his lungs while he formulated a response in his mind. Slowly, he let the smoke out and spoke at the same time. “I’ve gotta go to Paradis.”

Lilith interjected now, her voice showing concern. “Isn’t that where Reiner and the others went five years ago? Don’t tell me something happened.”

He just shrugged. “We’re not too sure if anything even happened at all. It’s been too long; the brass wants results. So I have to go after them. Pieck is going, too.”

Lilith’s eyes widened. “Pieck!? Oh man.” the whine in her voice was evident even with the bandage hindering some emotion. “And you leave today?”

“Yep.” Zeke took a moment to hold his cigarette over the edge of the table and flick the ashes to the ground. “I caught her on the way here, so she knows.”

A sigh escaped Lilith as her shoulders slumped, her eyes closing soon afterward. First four of her friends left, now two more are going. All she would have now are Lukas and Porco. She was beginning to wonder if she’d even see anyone else again considering how long it’s been. Would they even remember her? Are they even alive?

She was pulled from her thoughts by a bang on the table. Her gaze turned and she saw that Porco had slammed his fist onto the table top; his face twisted in a rage. He just grumbled to himself briefly before speaking. 

“I’m tired of sitting around and doing jack shit! Talk to the brass; convince them to let me come. Reconnaissance, infiltration, hell I’ll even opt for a field cook. I need to do _something_.”

“As much as I’d love you to tag along, Porco, this isn’t your battle.”

“The hell does that even mean?! Why has everyone else got their chance at being useful and I’m just...here? Existing?”

“It means that you didn’t inherit a titan, therefore you can’t go running into battle risking your life just yet. You’re still an eligible candidate, the brass isn’t going to want to take a chance losing you.” Despite how much more heated Porco was getting, Zeke’s cool never faltered. It was like having an adult trying to talk a child out of a tantrum. Lilith could see this wasn’t the first time that Zeke has had to do this, but she couldn’t help but feel bad for Porco. She knew how devastated he was when everyone else got selected and he got left behind; she’s seen it first hand for the past five years. 

Porco leaned his forehead on the table before clasping both of his hands behind his head. Everyone could see he was frustrated, but there wasn’t really anything that they could do. 

When Zeke finally finished his cigarette, he put it out against the underside of the table and proceeded to stand up. “Well, I’m gonna head back. Make sure you’re there for the send off or it might be a while until you see us again. Oh, and Lilith.”

Lilith turned her gaze to Zeke quickly. “Yeah?”

“Make sure you’re there, too. I plan to see if we can get you a roof over your head. It might mean you’ll be working within the military, but it’s better than nothing.”

Before Lilith could protest or let alone say anything, Zeke had already began to walk away. Lukas’ eyes widened as he turned his gaze to her, his lips making an ‘O’. 

“No way.” he said; his voice was almost teasing. “He’s going to try and get you in with the military?”

“Lukas, please.” Lilith protested, her brain not even forming a proper sentence quite yet. She was still in disbelief that the idea even crossed Zeke’s mind. Lukas didn’t budge. 

“I mean, it does guarantee a roof over your head and a bed to sleep on. Might be better than ‘putting my family at risk’, like you say.”

Lilith just turned her gaze to him sharply before glaring at him; her eyes piercing into what felt like his brain. He just proceeded to stand up from his seat with his hands in the air.

“Sorry Lils, but I’m just putting it in perspective. You should go. It might be worth it.”

“Yeah yeah, and where are you going?” she asked, paying no mind to what he had said to her. 

“I gotta help my mom with some morning chores but I’ll be there for the send off. Don’t worry.” he reached his hand out and placed it on the top of her head. “Promise.”

Lilith gave him a weak smile before turning her gaze back down to the table. As Lukas pulled away, he nudged Porco. “Remember Galliard; my life is in your hands!” 

Porco rolled his eyes and turned to face Lukas only to see the dark brunette walking away already. “What do I look like, a babysitter?!” he called out. Lukas just kept walking but raised his arm to show a little wave of acknowledgement. Porco grit his teeth together and turned back to face the table; his brows furrowing in frustration. “What’s his deal anyway? You two together or something?” 

Taken aback by the comment, Lilith blinked quickly for a few seconds and turned to look at him. “W-what? Me and Lukas?” 

The angry blonde was surprised when Lilith just erupted in laughter. He slowly straightened out his back as he sat up straight, his gaze turning to face her. He didn’t know whether to be happy or not with her reaction. 

“What’s so funny?” he asked. 

“Just the ridiculous assumption you just made. We’re far from it. He’s like an older brother to me, that’s all.” she said as calmly as she could. “Why? Does it bother you?”

“Huh? No.” 

Lilith just let out a sigh. “Why are you so irritated?” she waited patiently for him to answer, but was rather disappointed when all he did was grumble to himself again and look down at the table. “Porco.”

Nothing.

“Galliard.”

Still nothing.

“Pock.”

The last name earned a side glare, but he didn’t freak out the way she thought he would. Instead, he ran a hand through his hair and inhaled deeply. “Why do you do this?”

“Do what, Pock?”

“Why do you purposefully try to upset me?” 

Lilith rolled her eyes and slowly turned around on her seat on the bench. As she hoisted herself up carefully, she gently placed a hand on Porco’s shoulder for support. “Shit, I forgot how sore everything is right now.”

“So just sit and relax.” Porco stated, his voice soft suddenly. Lilith realized then that he was probably just a sucker for physical touch, hence why he calmed down. 

“No, we’re going to go for a walk. You need to clear your head before the send off, so let’s go.”

Lilith’s hand remained on his shoulder as she waited for his reply. It were as if he was having an internal battle inside his mind; should he leave and try to clear his thoughts or just continue to brood? There was something about going on a walk though that seemed enticing; especially if it meant going with Lilith. He’d never admit it, but he’d been sweet on her since the first day he saw her. He wasn’t even sure why/ Her hair? Her eyes? The way she flawlessly got along with everyone? Or maybe it was the way she had control of her own mind. Who knows.

“Fine. Let’s go.” he huffed before standing from his seat, careful not to knock Lilith over. Lilith ensured to grab what remained of their trash so she could toss it out on their way out of the park. Soon enough, they were both on their way to begin their little journey in nature; a nice way to pass the time before the send off.

____________________

It was midafternoon now. Lilith and Porco had spent the majority of their day together and it honestly went by nicely. It didn’t take long for her to talk him down and out of his funk before he started becoming chatty. If she was honest, she half expected their time spent together to be stressful and quiet. However, she was pleasantly surprised when even Porco had a desire to take the lead on their mini adventure; leading the way past old buildings, gardens, and even the odd stream that snuck it’s way through the stone city.

Finally, they were making their way back to the Warrior Headquarters with probably ten minutes to spare until their arrival. They’d been walking everywhere today while nearly attached to each other's hips, no thanks to Lilith’s injuries. Just as they started to close in on the gate, someone abruptly came walking around the corner. Before they had the opportunity to crash into Lilith, Porco immediately wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her back.

“Hey, watch it!” Porco snapped as he held Lilith snug against him. “You almost walked right into her!”

Lilith just stayed put; her hands pressed between their chests. She could feel her cheeks flush as she turned to look at the person who was on the receiving end of Porco’s rant. It was a middle aged man who really did look up to no good. When he met Porco’s gaze, he just immediately raised his hands in the air and scurried off without a word. Porco just stared him down the entire way until he was finally out of sight. 

“Damn it, why can’t people just walk normally.” he mumbled before letting out a frustrated sigh. 

“Dunno. Maybe he was late for something.”

“Being considerate is still a thing, you know.” he slowly turned his gaze to Lilith and almost shocked himself with how close he’d actually brought her. She was still looking off into the direction the person had scurried off to, so naturally Porco took this opportunity to really get a good look at her. He didn’t realize how many tints of red were actually in her hair, or how blue her eyes really were until that moment. He even began to notice the faintest of freckles that just dotted over her cheeks and the bridge of her nose. His eyes trailed lower and he saw how her hands were caught in between both of their bodies; heat creeped across his cheeks and a build up of pressure formed in his gut. Before Lilith could get the chance to look up at him, he slowly and gently released her from his grasp. 

“Uh, sorry. I just didn’t want you to get run into.” he said as he ran his hand through his hair. Lilith finally looked up at him and gave him a faint smile. 

“No worries, Porco. Come on, let’s find Zeke.”

____________________

Lilith found herself sitting just outside of a board room while Zeke proceeded to speak to his superiors. He had ushered her into the building with as much haste as possible and reassured her that everything would be fine. _“Leave the talking to me.”_ he said. Her eyes began to close since she was running off of only a few hours of sleep. Just as she felt herself begin to sway forward in her seat, the door opened. 

“Miss.Rosenburg?”

Lilith’s eyes snapped open and she jumped in her seat; her gaze making it’s way over to the door where an officer stood. 

“Yes, sir?”

“Please come in.”

Not wanting to stall or make any mistakes, Lilith immediately stood up and confidently made her way over to the door. Once she was inside, the door shut behind her and she saw Zeke sitting in a chair across from another man who seemed to have all kinds of badges and military pins.The officer who invited her in held a hand out to the empty chair next to Zeke. “Take a seat.”

“Do you know why you’re here?” the officer at the desk asked; his hands folding under his chin for a moment. Lilith tried to quickly think of something to say without turning her gaze to Zeke for even a fraction of a second.

“Zeke had mentioned something about me being of service. That’s all I know.”

“Well, we haven’t been too keen on enlisting true Marleyans into the military over the years. But seeing how things are unfolding with the MIA status of four of our deadliest assets, we’re anticipating a rise in more global problems. As a result, we’re going to have no choice but to enlist Marleyans after all. Is this something you’d be interested in?”

Lilith thought for a moment, her expression doing most of the talking for her. The officer remained silent though and waited for her to speak for herself. 

“With all due respect sir, I’m not a fighter. I’m not cut out for that kind of work.”

“Then what can you do?”

Lilith noticed Zeke turn to face her from the corner of her eye. She suppressed the urge to look back at him and continued staring into the eyes of the officer on the other side of the desk. 

“I...I’m not sure.” she really didn’t know what she was good at. After the upbringing she had, it was hard to pinpoint anything that she was really good at or was passionate about. 

“Well, Zeke here has vouched for you quite a bit. As you know, he's climbing up in the ranks rather quickly. It may not show, but we do value his word immensely. Despite it all, here you are saying that you’re not sure what your talents are?” he asked as he crossed his arms; his gaze never leaving Lilith. She just gulped.

“I’m sorry, sir. I’ve just never had the opportunity to explore myself in that perspective.” 

“There is one more thing I can suggest. You realize if it’s not being in the military front lines, you’d be required to help out here.”

“Here, in this building?”

“Yes. You may or may not like it, but you really only have this option left. Unfortunately, I can’t offer much else. Not at this time, anyway.”

Now Lilith turned to look at Zeke, a look of questioning sprawled across her face. He just raised his eyebrows and smiled slightly before turning his gaze to the floor. 

What kind of mess has Zeke put her in?


End file.
